Attix5 Pro and Windows File Server Clusters for Microsoft Windows Configuring Attix5 Pro for use with Windows File Server Clusters.
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Contents Background... 3 Active-Passive configuration... 3 Active-Active configuration... 5 Backup Client start-up links... 8 Appendix: Backup Client for local-only storage... 9 2 Copyright Attix5. All rights reserved.
Background This document covers both Active-Passive and Active-Active configuration for Windows File Server Clusters. The clusters typically act as high availability file servers, presenting a virtual server name to the network for client file access, and share storage on a SCSI bus or SAN. Active-Passive configuration In this configuration, there is only one virtual file server instance, and this is active on only one of the host servers at any one time. In the example below, Server A is active and is running the Virtual File Server 1. Server B is passive, and does not have access to disk X: unless the cluster fails over. 1. On the active host server, install the Attix5 Pro SE Backup Client using the shared disk for the installation folder and all working folders, e.g. X:\Attix5 Pro\Backup Client SE\. 2. When the installation is complete, create a Backup Account using the wizard. It is recommended that you use the virtual file server s name. 3. In order to avoid a failover that might disrupt operations, install the Attix5 Pro Backup Client to the local disk of the passive host server. When this completes, do not create a Backup Account. Close the GUI and stop the service. Note the service name under the Service Properties. 4. Open up the Registry Editor (regedit.exe). 5. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ and look for the service name, e.g. A5Backup Service. Copyright Attix5. All rights reserved. 3
6. Change the ImagePath key from the local path to the correct path on the shared disk, e.g. X:\Attix5 Pro\Backup Client SE\a5backup64.exe start 7. Using the Services menu, check that the service is now pointing to the correct path on the shared disk. 8. If the path is correct, you can now delete the temporary installation from the local disk. 9. Using the Cluster Administrator, you should now create Generic Service resources on both host servers, with a dependency on the shared disk. This will place the services under Cluster control. 10. Bring the cluster service online on the Active server. In the event of failover, the service will start on the passive peer and will use the settings from the shared installation folder. Note: It is important to ensure that only data from the shared disk is selected. The Attix5 Pro Backup Client folders should not be included for backup. 11. If you require system state backup or backup of any folders on the local-only storage, you should install an additional Attix5 Pro Backup Client manually as described in the appendix below. 4 Copyright Attix5. All rights reserved.
Active-Active configuration The Active-Active cluster configuration is similar to the Active-Passive cluster configuration, except scaled from a single virtual file server to multiple virtual file servers split between two or more host servers. In the example image below, Server A is active for two virtual file servers, using two separate shared disks, and is passive for a third. Server B is active for one virtual file server, and is passive for two. The cluster is Active-Active as both host servers are serving at least one active virtual file server instance. The installation instructions are very similar to the Active-Passive cluster configuration, but allow for multiple Backup Clients to be installed and are able to failover between hosts independently. A Backup Account should be created for each virtual file server. 1. On the first active host, install the Attix5 Pro Backup Client using the shared disk for the installation folder and all working folders, e.g. X:\Attix5 Pro\Backup Client SE\. 2. When this completes, do not create a Backup Account. Close the GUI and stop the service. Copyright Attix5. All rights reserved. 5
3. Copy the installation folder onto the shared disks used by any other virtual file servers, e.g. Y:\Attix5 Pro\Backup Client SE\. 4. If the shared disks are not accessible as the host is running in passive mode (e.g. the Z:\ disk in the image above) copy the installation directory to a temporary path on local storage. 5. Start the service and open the GUI, then use the wizard to create a Backup Account using the virtual file server s name, e.g. VirtualFS1. Ensure that the working folders reside on the correct shared disk. 6. Navigate to the shared disk installation folder for the next virtual file server. 7. Using Notepad, open the service.properties file. 8. Locate the service.name and service.displayname lines. If they do not exist, create them. Edit them either by adding a numeral or file server name to them. E.g.: service.name=a5backup Service 2 service.displayname=attix5 Pro SE 2 9. Save and close the file. 10. Open the a5backup.properties file and locate the lines service.rmi.port, service.rpc-server.port, service.rpc-server.localhost.port, and service.port. If these lines do not exist, create them. 11. Edit the lines by changing the port values to new values that do not clash with the other service instance. E.g. if Virtual File Server 1 is using: service.rmi.port=1031 service.rpc-server.port=9092 service.rpc-server.localhost.port=1030 service.port=10010 Change the values to use for Virtual File Server 2 to: service.rmi.port=1131 service.rpc-server.port=9093 service.rpc-server.localhost.port=1130 service.port=10110 12. Save and close the file. 13. Using the Command Prompt, navigate to the installation folder and run the command a5backup.exe install or a5backup64.exe install if running a 64-bit server. E.g.: Y:\Attix5 Pro\Backup Client SE>a5backup.exe install 14. The service will now be installed to the shared disk path using the service name and display names specified in the service.properties file. 15. Check the Services menu and confirm that this has been installed with the correct name. 16. Start the service and open the GUI using the SERunner.exe program from the installation directory. Create a Backup Account using the Virtual File Server s name, e.g. VirtualFS2. 6 Copyright Attix5. All rights reserved.
17. Repeat this process for any other active file server instances, again changing the service names and port numbers, and of course Backup Account names. It is recommended to keep track of the port numbers in use so that these do not clash. 18. To install the services for any passive file server instances, navigate to the temporary installation directories you created earlier. Edit the service.properties and a5backup.properties files as per the active instances. Ensure that the service names match the service names on the active cluster host to avoid confusion. 19. Using the Command Prompt, install the service. E.g.: C:\Temp\Backup Client SE>a5backup.exe install 20. Check that the service has installed with the correct display and service names. 21. Open up the Registry Editor (regedit.exe). 22. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ and look for the service name, e.g. A5Backup Service 3. 23. Change the ImagePath key from the local path to the correct path on the shared disk, e.g. Z:\Attix5 Pro\Backup Client SE\a5backup64.exe start 24. Using the Services menu, check that the service is now pointing to the correct path on the shared disk. 25. If the path is correct, you can now delete the temporary installation from the local disk. You do not need to create a Backup Account. 26. Repeat the installation processes for each host server, starting with an active virtual fileserver and copying the installation for each subsequent file server instance. 27. E.g., on Server B, the first Backup Client installation would be for Virtual File Server 3 onto Z:\Attix5 Pro\Backup Client SE\. The installations for Virtual File Servers 1 and 2 would be done manually with settings and registry edits required. 28. When the Backup Client installations are complete on all host servers, using the Cluster Administrator, you should now create Generic Service resources on all host servers for each Virtual File Server, with dependencies on the appropriate shared disks. 29. This will place the services under cluster control. Bring each cluster service online on the active server. In the event of failover, the service will start on the passive peer and will use the settings from the installation folder and working folders. Notes: It is important to ensure that only data from the shared disk is selected. The Attix5 Pro Backup Client folders should not be included for backup. If you require system state backup or backup of any folders on the localonly storage, you should install an additional Attix5 Pro Backup Client manually as described in the appendix below. Copyright Attix5. All rights reserved. 7
Backup Client start-up links The Attix5 Pro Backup Client installer installs a start-up key in the registry. This means that when logging on, the SERunner.exe system tray runner is launched for the Backup Client that was installed first. The key can be found in the registry at: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupreg\A5Backup Service] The key can be deleted to prevent the SERunner from starting automatically. You may wish to create links for the SERunner.exe for each Backup Client installation on the desktop and name these appropriately for the Backup Account or file server instance. 8 Copyright Attix5. All rights reserved.
Appendix: Backup Client for local-only storage If you wish to back up local storage or system state on the host servers, you will need to install an additional Backup Client on the local storage for the server. With a Backup Client already installed, this will need to be done manually. 1. Close the GUI and stop the service for one of the Backup Client instances. Copy the installation folder onto the local storage. 2. Open the service.properties file and change the service.name and service.displayname values so that they do not clash with any existing services. Save and close the file. 3. Open the a5backup.properties file and set the following ports so they do not clash with any existing services or other software: service.rmi.port, service.rpc-server.port, service.rpc-server.localhost.port, and service.port. Save and close the file. 4. From the Command Prompt, run the command a5backup.exe install or a5backup64.exe install if running a 64-bit server. E.g.: C:\Program Files\Attix5 Pro\Backup Client SE>a5backup.exe install 5. Check the Services menu and ensure that a service with the correct name has been created. Start the service and open the GUI. Run the Account Wizard, and create a new Backup Account as the Backup Account details will be copied from the other installation. Ensure that the working folders are set to local storage and do not clash with any other installations. You can now select data for backup on local storage including the host server s system state. Copyright Attix5. All rights reserved. 9