Preparing to Use installvcs

As you run the installvcs utility, be prepared to answer prompts so that the installation can proceed smoothly and successfully. Use the following sections to guide you in preparing for the installation of VCS 4.1.

If you want to install VCS packages on systems, but are not yet ready to configure the VCS cluster, refer to Using installvcs to Install Without Configuration. You can come back later with cluster information and perform the procedures in Using installvcs to Configure Without Installation.

License Key

Be prepared to enter your VCS license key when prompted. See Obtaining License Keys for VCS.

Choosing Optional Packages

The optional packages included with VCS include:

• Manual pages for VCS commands (VRTSvcsmn)
• VCS documentation (VRTSvcsdc)
• I/O fencing (VRTSvxfen)
• The VCS simulator (VRTSvcssim)
• The VCS Cluster Manager (VRTScscm)
• VERITAS Security Services (VRTSat)

I/O Fencing (Optional)

If the I/O fencing option is selected, the installvcs utility installs the VCS I/O fencing driver, VRTSvxfen. After completing VCS installation, you must do the following to use the I/O fencing feature:

• Install a version of VERITAS Volume Manager (VxVM) that licenses SCSI-III persistent group reservations.
• Verify the disks you intend to use for shared data storage and for coordinator disks support SCSI-III PGR (Persistent Group Reservations). See Setting Up I/O Fencing to set up and test the storage, and to enable I/O fencing.

The VERITAS Cluster Server User's Guide describes I/O fencing in detail. I/O fencing protects the data on shared disks. When nodes in a cluster detect a change in cluster membership that could indicate a split brain condition, the fencing operation proceeds to determine which nodes are to retain access to the shared storage and which nodes are to be ejected from the cluster, thus preventing possible data corruption.

VERITAS Security Services (Optional)

VERITAS Security Services (VxSS) secures communication between cluster nodes and clients, including the Java and the Web consoles by using digital certificates for authentication and SSL to encrypt communication over the public network. For more information about VxSS, see the VERITAS Cluster Server User's Guide.

If you decide to enable VxSS, you need to:

1. Install the Root Broker.

   The Root Broker is the main registration and certification authority and can serve multiple clusters. VERITAS recommends that you install a single Root Broker on a utility computer such as an email server or domain controller, which can be highly available. To install the Root Broker see, Installing the Root Broker.

2. Configure VxSS during or after installation. To configure it during installation, see Configuring the Cluster in Secure Mode. To configure it after installation, consult the VERITAS User's Guide.

Required Cluster Information

Be prepared to provide the following information about the cluster and its systems:

  A name for the cluster; the name must begin with a letter of the alphabet (a-z, A-Z) and contain only the characters a through z, A through Z, and 1 through 0, hyphen (-), and underscore (_).

  A unique ID number for the cluster. Within the site containing the cluster, each cluster must have a unique ID.

  The host names of the systems in the cluster.

  Valid license keys for each system in the cluster, or a valid site or demo license key.

  Device names of the NICs used by the private networks among systems.

Virtual IP Address for Cluster Manager (Web Console)

You have the option to configure the Web-based Cluster Manager (Web Console). The Web Console is a graphical user interface that enables cluster monitoring and administration. If you choose this option, you must provide:

  The device name for the NIC providing public network access.

  A virtual IP address associated with the NIC. This virtual IP address becomes a resource for use by the ClusterService group that includes the VCS Cluster Manager (Web Console). The "Cluster Virtual IP address" can fail over to another cluster system, making the Web Console highly available.

  The subnet used with the Virtual Address.

Information for Configuring SMTP Notification

You have the option to configure SMTP email notification of VCS events by the VCS Notifier component. If you choose SMTP notification, be prepared to answer prompts for the following information:

  The domain-based address of the SMTP server that is to send notification email about the events within the cluster. For example, smtp.example.com.

  The email address of each SMTP recipient to be notified. For example, john@example.com.

  The minimum severity of events for SMTP email notification. Events have four levels of severity: Information, Warning, Error, and SevereError.

The VERITAS Cluster Server User's Guide describes SMTP notification in detail; see the chapter on notification.

Information for Configuring SNMP Notification

You have the option to configure SNMP trap notification of VCS events by the VCS Notifier component. If you choose SNMP notification, be prepared to answer prompts for the following information:

  The port number for the SNMP trap daemon; by default this is 162.

  The machine name for each SNMP console.

  The minimum severity of events for SNMP trap notification. Events have four levels of severity: Information, Warning, Error, and SevereError.

If you choose the SMTP or SNMP notification option, the installer allows you to choose whether or not to use the same NIC as configured for the ClusterService group, which is the default. If you choose not to use the same networking information, you must specify appropriate values for the NIC, the virtual IP address, and the netmask when prompted.

The VERITAS Cluster Server User's Guide describes SNMP notification in detail; see the chapter on notification.

Information for the Global Cluster Option

You have the option to configure the Global Cluster feature. The Global Cluster feature provides the ability to fail over applications between geographically distributed clusters when disaster occurs. The Global Cluster feature requires a license that you can add during the installation.

If you choose the Global Cluster option, the installer allows you to choose whether or not to use the same NIC, virtual IP address, and netmask as are configured for the ClusterService group, which are the defaults. If you choose not to use the same networking information, you must specify appropriate values for the NIC, virtual IP address, and netmask when you are prompted.