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Chapter 9: Using Online Planning Worksheets


This chapter describes how to use the Online Planning Worksheets (OLPW) application, which creates a cluster definition file (also sometimes referred to as a worksheets file). This chapter also describes the cluster definition file and how to use it to define your HACMP cluster.

A cluster definition file contains planning information that can be applied to your cluster to configure it for HACMP. There are several ways to create a cluster definition file, depending on the state of your cluster:

  • You can use the Online Planning Worksheets to create a new file from scratch or from an existing file as described in the section Using the Online Planning Worksheets Application in this chapter.
  • If you prefer to manually edit the cluster definition file, you can edit it using an XML editor or plain text editor. See Understanding the Cluster Definition File in this chapter.
  • If you have an existing HACMP snapshot, you can use SMIT to convert the snapshot information into a cluster definition file as described in the section Converting a Snapshot to a Cluster Definition File in this chapter.
  • If you have an existing HACMP installation, you can use SMIT to export your configuration as a cluster definition file as described in the section Exporting a Cluster Definition File from SMIT in this chapter.
  • If you have an existing HACMP installation and do not want to create an intermediary file, you can bring your cluster configuration information directly into OLPW as described in the section Creating a New Cluster Definition File.
  • After you finish populating your cluster definition with your specific configuration information, you apply the cluster definition file to your cluster as described in Applying Worksheet Data to Your HACMP Cluster.

    Prerequisites

    Before you use the Online Planning Worksheets application, you should understand the concepts and terminology relevant to HACMP. The Concepts and Facilities Guide provides this information. You should also be familiar with the planning process. While using the application, refer to the chapters earlier in this guide for more information about how to plan each component of your cluster. Also, draw a diagram of your planned configuration before you get started, as suggested in Chapter 2: Initial Cluster Planning.

    For information about installation prerequisites, see the section Installing the Online Planning Worksheets Application.

    Overview of the Online Planning Worksheets Application

    Online Planning Worksheets is a Java-based application that enables you to plan your HACMP cluster configuration. Using this application, you can either import HACMP configuration information and edit it as needed, or you can enter in all configuration information manually. The application saves your information as a cluster definition file that you can apply to your cluster. Then HACMP automatically configures your cluster, based on that information. The application also validates your data to ensure that all required information has been entered.

    To document your configuration, you can produce an HTML report, which indicates what you have finished planning and what remains to be completed.

    Limitations

    The Online Planning Worksheets application only opens configuration files generated by the following versions of HACMP:

  • HACMP 5.4
  • HACMP 5.3
  • HACMP 5.2
  • HACMP 5.1.0.1 (5.1 PTF 1).
  • The Online Planning Worksheets application does not support the following:

  • HACMP discovery
  • National Language Support
  • HACMP/XD
  • Custom Resource Recovery
  • GPFS integration with HACMP
  • Smart Assists for WebSphere, DB2, and Oracle.
  • In addition, the application does not let you configure the following:

  • Runtime parameters:
  • RSCT maximum log lengths
  • HACMP runtime parameters
  • Advanced performance tuning parameters.
  • Complex configurations that require significant AIX 5L configuration before the HACMP configuration:
  • Customization of the distribution preferences for service IP label aliases
  • Additions or changes to NIM configuration
  • HA communication links for WAN support, SNA, or X25
  • Custom verification methods
  • User-defined events.
  • Customized policies for setting the Dynamic Node Priority
  • Facilities that require cluster connectivity in order to function, such as functions that require C-SPOC.
  • Installing the Online Planning Worksheets Application

    You can install and run the Online Planning Worksheets application on a Microsoft Windows or an IBM AIX 5L system. You can also run the application directly from the IBM website.

    This section contains the following topics:

  • Installation Prerequisites
  • User Permission Requirements
  • Downloading the Application on an AIX 5L System
  • Installing the Application on a Windows System.
  • Installation Prerequisites

    The Online Planning Worksheets application requires the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.3.0 or higher.

    The Online Planning Worksheets application is supported on the following operating systems:

  • IBM AIX 5L versions (which include the JRE by default):
  • AIX 5L v.5.3
  • Microsoft Windows 2000.
  • The Online Planning Worksheets application should also run on any other system that has the appropriate JRE installed. Note that the display of fonts in the application depends on the system fonts available.

    User Permission Requirements

    Typically, you can run the Online Planning Worksheets application from any Windows 2000 or AIX 5L system; however the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) must let users save data to disk from a Java application.

    On an AIX 5L system, users also require the following privileges:

  • Privileges to copy files to the AIX 5L system—for example, if the configuration file was created on another system, such as Windows
  • Root privilege to apply the configuration file.
  • Downloading the Application on an AIX 5L System

    You download the Online Planning Worksheets application from the installable image that is located at this URL:

    http://www.ibm.com/systems/p/ha/ha_olpw.html

    The name of the file to download is:

    worksheets.jar 
    

    Once you accept the license agreement, find the online planning worksheets worksheets.jar file and click on it or run the following command from the 5L AIX command line:

    java -jar worksheets.jar  
    

    Install the application as you install any HACMP component.

    The Online Planning Worksheets application is installed in the /usr/es/sbin/cluster/worksheets directory.

    Note: If you move the worksheets.jar file from the /usr/es/sbin/cluster/worksheets directory, edit the /usr/es/sbin/cluster/worksheets/worksheets file and set the WORKSHEETS variable to the correct full path of the worksheets.jar file.
    Moving the /usr/es/sbin/cluster/worksheets/worksheets file to a different location does not require changes to the WORKSHEETS variable.

    For information on running the Online Planning Worksheets application, see Running the Application from an AIX 5L Installation.

    Installing the Application on a Windows System

    To install the Online Planning Worksheets application on a Microsoft Windows system:

      1. Download and install the Online Planning Worksheets on an AIX 5L system from this URL:
    http://www.ibm.com/systems/p/ha/ha_olpw.html
    The name of the file to download is:
    worksheets.jar
    For information about downloading and installing the application on AIX 5L, see the section Downloading the Application on an AIX 5L System.
      2. Copy the worksheets.bat and worksheets.jar files to a directory of your choice on your Windows system. If you copy the files via FTP, be sure to specify the binary mode.
      3. If you do not have the worksheets.bat and worksheets.jar files in the same directory, edit the worksheets.bat file and set the WORKSHEETS variable to specify the full path of the worksheets.jar file.
    Note: You do not need to edit the CLASSPATH environment variable to run the Online Planning Worksheets application.

    For information on running the Online Planning Worksheets application, see Running the Application from a Windows Installation.

    Starting and Stopping the Application

    This section contains the following topics:

  • Running the Application from an AIX 5L Installation
  • Running the Application from a Windows Installation
  • Running the Application from the IBM Website
  • Running the Application from an AIX 5L Installation

    To run the application on an AIX 5L system, execute the following command:

    /usr/es/sbin/cluster/worksheets/worksheets 
    

    The application verifies that you have an appropriate version of the JRE installed before it runs the application in the background.

    Next, see Where You Go from Here.

    Running the Application from a Windows Installation

    To run the application, execute the worksheets.bat command from the command line.

    Next, see Where You Go from Here.

    Running the Application from the IBM Website

    You can run the Online Planning Worksheets Application directly from the following IBM URL:

    http://www.ibm.com/systems/p/ha/ha_olpw.html

    The name of the file to download is:

    worksheets.jar 
    

    Once you accept the license agreement, find the online planning worksheets worksheets.jar file and click on it or run the following command from the AIX command line:

    java -jar worksheets.jar  
    

    Stopping the Application

    To stop the application, select File > Exit.

    Where You Go from Here

    If you are new to Online Planning Worksheets and would like an orientation on navigating the user interface and entering data, see the section Using the Online Planning Worksheets Application.

    If you are ready to begin using Online Planning Worksheets to fill in your configuration information, see section Planning a Cluster.

    If you prefer to fill in your cluster definition using an XML editor, see section Understanding the Cluster Definition File.

    Using the Online Planning Worksheets Application

    This section describes the following Online Planning Worksheets tasks:

  • Understanding the Main Window
  • Navigating Your Cluster Configuration
  • Viewing Standard and Extended Configuration Panels
  • Entering Data in the Configuration Panels
  • Opening an Existing Cluster Definition File
  • Creating a New Cluster Definition File
  • Adding, Modifying, and Deleting Cluster Information
  • Adding Notes about the Cluster Configuration
  • Validating a Cluster Definition
  • Saving a Cluster Definition File
  • Creating an HTML Configuration Report
  • Using Online Help.
  • Understanding the Main Window

    When the Online Planning Worksheets application opens, its main window displays as follows.

    Online Planning Worksheets Main Window 
    

    The main window consists of two panes.

  • The left pane enables navigation to cluster components
  • The right pane displays panels associated with icons selected in the left pane. These panels are where you enter your configuration information.
  • Navigating Your Cluster Configuration

    The left pane provides three tabbed views that enable you to navigate your cluster configuration:

  • Requisite. Use this view to enter cluster information. The items in this view are organized in the sequence recommended for configuring cluster components. The items appear in a logical sequence showing dependencies among some configuration items. For example, Nodes appears before Resource Groups, because you identify the nodes in a cluster before defining a resource group to include them.
  • Hierarchical. Use this to view logical groupings of your cluster configuration.
  • Help. Use this view to list the Help topics.
  • Note: Icons in the navigation pane that display an asterisk (*) contain the navigational items beneath them; they do not display a configuration panel.

    The following figure shows the difference between the organization of items in the Requisite view and the Hierarchical view.

    Requisite View and Hierarchical View 
    

    When you click a tab at the bottom of the left pane to switch views, the same item remains selected in the left pane. This enables you to easily switch context for a selected item (for example, to view online help).

    Viewing Standard and Extended Configuration Panels

    You can display the standard set of configuration panels or the extended (full) set of configuration panels. These settings are similar to the SMIT standard and extended configuration options. Select the set of panels to display from the Settings menu.

    The standard set of configuration panels enables you set up a basic HACMP configuration. The following figure shows the standard and extended Requisite views:

    Standard and Extended Views 
    

    Entering Data in the Configuration Panels

    The configuration panels contain groups of fields for you to enter information about your cluster. You can begin entering data immediately. As you enter data, the application validates the syntax of the information. Note that the lack of cluster connectivity at the planning stage limits verification of the accuracy of the information entered. For example, the application does not validate that the value for an IP label assigned to an interface is accurate.

    The application also provides a number of panels for entering information about your HACMP cluster for documentation purposes:

  • Disks
  • Volume Groups
  • Logical Volumes
  • Network Filesystem Exports
  • Applications.
  • Information that you enter in these panels may be available from other panels. For example if you specify an application before configuring an application server. This information is included in any reports you generate, but is not used in the configuration file.

    Entering Data into Required and Optional Fields

    Fields in the configuration panels are either required or optional:

  • Required fields. These fields must be filled in before you apply the configuration to your cluster. A required field appears in bold-face type.
  • If you leave a required field blank, when you save the file, a message indicates which remaining fields must be completed. You can save this validation message as a log file.

  • Optional fields. These fields are not required to run HACMP but their data are included in the Online Planning Worksheets reports. An optional field appears in regular type.
  • Using Online Help

    While entering information in the configuration panels, refer to the online Help, available from the Help tab, to get information about:

  • A description of the current panel
  • Button actions.
  • The Help view provides information about the panel selected in the Requisite or Hierarchical view.

    You can display the following topics from the index link at the top of each Help panel:

  • About Online Planning Worksheets
  • Menus
  • Navigation.
  • Creating a New Cluster Definition File

    When you start planning your cluster, you can fill in all information by hand, OLPW can read in your cluster configuration information. To import the HACMP definition, run OLPW from the cluster node. You can also create a cluster definition file from an active HACMP cluster.

    Note: Importing the HACMP definition is not supported from a Windows 2000 machine; the menu option will be disabled.

    To create a cluster definition file:

      1. Enter all data by hand, following the procedures described in section Planning a Cluster.
    or
      2. Read in configuration information directly from your HACMP cluster as follows:
      a. Select File > Import HACMP Definition.

    The Import Validation dialog box appears. You can view information about validation errors or receive notification that the validation of the HACMP definition file was successful.

      b. Enter additional data by hand, following the procedures described in section Planning a Cluster.
      3. To create a cluster definition file from an active HACMP cluster, see the section Exporting a Cluster Definition File from SMIT and open the file as described in the section Opening an Existing Cluster Definition File.

    Opening an Existing Cluster Definition File

    Note: The cluster definition file must reside on the same node running the Online Planning Worksheets application.

    The Online Planning Worksheets application supports opening cluster definition files with the following file extensions:

    .haw
    This is the preferred extension. It is supported in HACMP 5.4.
    .xml
    This extension may be used. It is supported in HACMP 5.4.
    .ws
    This file format is supported in HACMP 5.1.0.1. For backwards compatibility, .ws files can be opened in HACMP 5.4; however, they must be saved with either the .xml or .haw file extension. When you save a file, the Save dialog box specifies the .xml or .haw file extensions, as shown in section Saving a Cluster Definition File.
    Files with the .ws extension created using a version of the Online Planning Worksheets application prior to HACMP 5.1.0.1 are not supported.

    To open a cluster definition file, select File > Open.

    Only one cluster definition file can be open at a time. If a cluster definition file is open and you want to start a new one, select File > New. You will be prompted to save the current file, whether or not you have made any modifications, and the main window appears with no configuration information.

    Adding, Modifying, and Deleting Cluster Information

    When you enter information and then select Add, the information appears in the list at the bottom of the panel. You can then enter information for another item.

    You can select items in the list at the bottom of the dialog box, and then modify information for the item or delete the line. Changes that you make may affect entries in other panels that use the information. For example, if you delete a resource group, other panels that reference that resource group no longer provide the name of the deleted resource group.

    When you select Add or Modify, the application validates the syntax of the information entered in a field. A message appears to provide information about any syntax errors.

    Adding Notes about the Cluster Configuration

    As you plan your configuration, you can add notes to save information that may be helpful to you at another time. To add cluster notes:

      1. In the left pane in either the Requisite view or the Hierarchical view, select Cluster Notes.
      2. In the Cluster Notes panel, enter the information you want to save.
      3. Select Apply.

    Validating a Cluster Definition

    Validation checks that the information specified is complete and meets the criteria for the parameter (for example, a name limit of 32 characters). By default, Online Planning Worksheets runs a validation when:

  • Importing a cluster definition from an active cluster
  • Opening a cluster definition file
  • Saving a cluster definition file.
  • During the cluster planning phase, you may want to turn off validation to avoid being prompted to validate the cluster definition each time you save the file.

    To turn off automatic validation of a cluster definition stored in a cluster definition file, select Settings > Validate When Saving to clear the check mark next to the menu item.

    You can also validate a cluster definition file at any time.

    To validate the information in a cluster definition file, select File > Validate HACMP Definition.

    Saving a Cluster Definition File

    To save a cluster definition file:

  • Select File > Save to use your cluster name as the filename.
  • or

  • Select File > Save As to enter a different filename.
  • In the Save dialog box, enter the name and location for your cluster definition file, make sure that the filename has the .haw (or .xml) extension, and click Save. Online Planning Worksheets saves the cluster definition file.

    Save Dialog Box 
    

    When you save a file, OLPW automatically validates the cluster definition unless automatic validation has been turned off. For information about cluster validation, see the section Validating a Cluster Definition.

    When saving a cluster definition file, OLPW does not save information about components that are not supported. For example, X.25 and SNA links are not supported, so any information pertaining to them will not be saved.

    Creating an HTML Configuration Report

    A configuration report enables you to record information about the state of your cluster configuration in an HTML file. To help you evaluate your configuration, fields on empty panels and required fields that do not have a value on other panels are marked as Undefined.

    You can create a report during the planning process. After you apply the configuration definition file, generate a report to record the initial configuration of HACMP.

    A report provides summary information that includes:

  • The name of the directory that stores images used in the report
  • The version of the Online Planning Worksheets application
  • The author and company specified on the Cluster Configuration panel
  • Cluster notes added from the Cluster Notes panel
  • The latest date and time that Online Planning Worksheets saved the cluster definition file.
  • The report also provides a section for each of the following:

    • Nodes and communication paths
    • Applications
    • Networks
    • NFS exports
    • IP labels
    • Application servers
    • Global network
    • Application monitors
    • Sites
    • Pagers or cell phones
    • Disks
    • Remote notifications
    • Resource groups
    • Tape resources
    • Volume groups
    • Resource group runtime policies
    • Logical volumes
    • Node summary
    • File collections
    • Cluster verification
    • Cross-site LVM Mirroring
     

    To create a configuration definition report:

      1. Select File > Create Report.
      2. In the Save dialog box, enter a name and location for the report file.

    When a report is generated, a directory named olpwimages is created in the same directory that stores the report. For example, if you save your report file to the directory /home/pat/reports, the graphics directory is /home/pat/reports/olpwimages. The olpwimages directory contains graphics files associated with the report.

    Each time you generate a report, the report and files in the images directory are replaced.

    Note: The generated report files and their associated olpwimages files remain on your system. You must manually manage these files.

    The following illustration shows part of a report for a four-node cluster:

    Sample Report 
    

    Planning a Cluster

    When you plan your cluster, use the Requisite view. This view guides you through the planning panels in a logical sequence. After you enter data in a panel, fields in subsequent panels may display the previously entered information.

    Overview of the Planning Process

    To plan an HACMP configuration:

      1. From the Requisite view, select Cluster.
      2. In the Cluster Configuration panel, specify the Cluster Name and any other values, and press Apply.
      3. Select Nodes and Communication Paths and enter configuration information in the corresponding panel.
      4. Continue selecting items in the Requisite view, and providing configuration information in the associated right panel.
      5. Save the planning and configuration information periodically.

    When you complete the planning process:

      1. Save the configuration file. See the section Saving a Cluster Definition File.
      2. Apply it to a cluster. See the section Applying Worksheet Data to Your HACMP Cluster.
      3. Create a report to save information about the initial cluster configuration. See the section Creating an HTML Configuration Report.

    The order of the following sections is the same as the items listed in the Requisite view. These sections briefly describe the type of configuration information you enter and provide references to other sections in this book that supply more information about the configuration options. Text identifies which panels are available in the extended configuration view.

    Defining the Cluster

    In the Cluster Configuration panel, provide a name for the cluster. It is a good idea to provide the author’s name. The application displays the date the cluster definition file was last updated.

    Defining Cluster Security

    In the Cluster Security panel, select the Connection Authentication Mode and Message Authentication Mode and Key Management for communications within the HACMP cluster. If the cluster includes SP systems that use Kerberos security, consider selecting Extended Security. For information about standard and extended security for an HACMP cluster, see Planning Cluster Security in Chapter 2: Initial Cluster Planning.

    Adding Nodes to the Cluster

    In the Nodes and Communication Paths panel, specify the nodes to add to your HACMP cluster and the communication path to connect to that node. The communication path can be an IP label/address or a fully-qualified domain name.

    Planning Site Configuration

    In the Site Configuration panel, specify information for a multiple site configuration. Configurations that will support HACMP/XD require more than one HACMP site.

    For information about planning for sites, see Chapter 2: Initial Cluster Planning.

    Creating Resource Groups

    In the Resource Groups panel, assign names to your resource groups and specify the management policies for each resource group.

    You can define a Site Relationship for resource groups and assign nodes to a site after you complete the Site Configuration panel (Display Extended Config panels). A node may be assigned to only one site.

    The following figure shows configuration in progress for a new resource group:

    Resource Groups Panel 
    

    For information about resource groups, see Chapter 6: Planning Resource Groups.

    From the Settings menu, you can select either Standard RG Config Options or Extended RG Config Options. On the Resource Associations panel, each view displays different types of resources listed in Resource Type. The resource types listed from the Extended RG Config Options show all of the types of resources that are visible from the extended configuration panels. Otherwise, the two views are the same.

    Defining Disk Resources

    In the set of panels under Resources, specify information about disks and filesystems to be included in your cluster. These panels are available in the Display Extended Config Panels.

    Disks

    (Display Extended Config Panels) In the Disks panel, enter information about the disks you want to use in your cluster.

    For information about planning for disks, see Chapter 4: Planning Shared Disk and Tape Devices.

    Volume Groups

    (Display Extended Config Panels) In the Volume Groups panel, specify the volume groups for your cluster.

    For information about planning for volume groups, see Chapter 5: Planning Shared LVM Components.

    Logical Volumes

    (Display Extended Config Panels) In the Logical Volumes panel, specify logical volumes and their associated volume groups for your cluster.

    For information about planning for logical volume groups, see Chapter 5: Planning Shared LVM Components. For additional information, see the AIX 5L System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices.

    Cross-Site LVM Mirroring

    (Display Extended Config Panels) In the Cross-Site LVM Mirroring panel, define which hdisks associated with a cluster node to assign to an HAMCP site. Before using this panel, define nodes in the Nodes and Communication Paths panel and define sites in the Site Configuration panel.

    For more information about cross-site LVM mirroring, see Chapter 5: Planning Shared LVM Components.

    NFS Exports

    (Display Extended Config Panels) In the NFS Exports panel, specify which filesystems, if any, are to be exported for NFS mounting by other nodes.

    For information about planning for NFS exports, see Chapter 5: Planning Shared LVM Components.

    Adding Tape Resources

    (Display Extended Config Panels) In the Tape Resources panel, specify the tape resources to include in the resource group and identify the start and stop scripts for the device. Defining a tape resource here makes it available in the Resource Associations panel.

    Note: A tape resource may only be included in a two-node resource group. A resource group may only contain one tape resource.

    For information about planning for tape resources, see Chapter 4: Planning Shared Disk and Tape Devices.

    Adding Resource Associations

    In the Resource Associations panel, specify which individual resources—such as filesystems, service IP labels, volume groups, application servers, and hdisks—are to be part of each resource group. For more information, see the section Creating Resource Groups.

    Create a resource group in the Resource Groups panel before you specify resource associations for the resource group. If you want to delete a resource group, you need to delete the related resource associations first.

    For information about configuring associations, see Chapter 6: Planning Resource Groups.

    Resource Group Attributes

    In the Resource Group Attributes panel, specify information about the filesystem, Workload Manager, dynamic node priority, and general attributes (such as forced varyon). Create a resource group in the Resource Groups panel before you specify Resource Group Attributes for the resource group.

    For information about configuring resource group attributes, see Chapter 6: Planning Resource Groups and Chapter 5: Planning Shared LVM Components.

    Resource Group Dependencies

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In the Resource Group Dependencies panel, specify the parent/child dependencies and click the Add button after the pair is entered.

    For information about resource group runtime policies, see section Resource Group Location Dependencies in Chapter 6: Planning Resource Groups.

    Resource Group Location Dependencies

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In the Resource Group Location Dependencies panel, specify the resource group dependency type and then choose the resource groups.

    For information about resource group runtime policies, see section Resource Group Location Dependencies in Chapter 6: Planning Resource Groups.

    Resource Group Runtime Policies

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In the Resource Group Runtime Policies panel, specify the resource group processing order and the settling time, and resource group node distribution policy.

    For information about resource group runtime policies, see Chapter 6: Planning Resource Groups.

    Defining Networks

    In the Networks panel, define the networks for your cluster including the network name and type. Information that you enter about the network is specific to the network type you select. For disk heartbeating networks, also plan which disk will be used for heartbeating. The Networks section also includes configuration panels for IP Labels, Interface Names, and in the Display Extended Config panels, Global Networks.

    The following figure shows the type of information you enter in the Networks panel:

    Networks Panel 
    
    Note: Before you can delete a node or network that includes an IP label or interface, delete the IP label, the interface, or both from the respective panel before deleting the associated node or network.

    For information about planning networks, see Chapter 3: Planning Cluster Network Connectivity.

    IP Labels

    In the IP Labels panel, specify service IP labels and persistent labels for an interface.

    For more information about assigning labels, see Chapter 3: Planning Cluster Network Connectivity and the Concepts and Facilities Guide.

    Interface Names

    In the Interface Names panel, specify names for each interface on a node.

    For more information about assigning interface names, see Chapter 3: Planning Cluster Network Connectivity.

    Global Networks

    (Display Extended Config Panels) In the Global Networks panel, specify information about a set of networks that comprise a global network.

    For information about global networks for HACMP, see Chapter 3: Planning Cluster Network Connectivity.

    Adding Applications

    In the Application panel, identify an application that is to be highly available. The Applications section also includes configuration panels for Application Servers, and in the Extended Config panels, Application Monitors.

    For information about adding applications, see Chapter 2: Initial Cluster Planning.

    Application Servers

    In the Application Servers panel, specify information about the application, its start and stop scripts, and application monitors. You must configure an application before you can configure an application server.

    For information about application servers, see Chapter 2: Initial Cluster Planning.

    Application Monitors

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In the Application Monitors panel, specify the name for the application monitor, which may be the same as the application server name, and define the actions to take should the application fail. Configure at least one application server before setting up an application monitor. You can assign more than one application monitor to an application server.

    Note: After you create application monitors, associate them with an application server from the Application Server panel.

    For information about monitoring applications, see Chapter 2: Initial Cluster Planning.

    Specifying TTY Node/Port Pairs

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In the Configure a Node/Port Pair panel, specify information about TTY connections that notification methods can use to issue a customized page in response to a cluster event.

    For information about planning for TTY connections, see Chapter 3: Planning Cluster Network Connectivity.

    Custom Remote Notification

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In the Configure Remote Notification panel, specify information about notification methods to issue a customized message in response to a cluster event. Specify a TTY Node in the TTY Node/Port Pairs panel before you set up a custom pager notification. For information about custom pager notification, see Chapter 7: Planning for Cluster Events.

    Specifying Cluster Events

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In this panel, specify pre- and post-event scripts for HACMP events as necessary. For information about planning for cluster events, see Chapter 7: Planning for Cluster Events.

    Defining File Collections

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In the File Collections panel, specify which files that are located on each cluster node that need be synchronized for HACMP to behave correctly. You can add or remove files from a default list of files. For information about planning for file collections, see the chapter on Configuring AIX 5L for HACMP in the Installation Guide.

    File Collections Global Settings

    (Display Extended Configuration Panels) In this panel, specify how often to check whether or not files to be automatically synchronized are the same. For information about planning for file collections, see the chapter on Configuring AIX 5L for HACMP in the Installation Guide.

    Specifying Verification Options

    In the Automatic Cluster Verification panel, define settings for cluster verification monitoring. You select the one cluster node and the time at which to run verification for that node.

    Understanding the Cluster Definition File

    The cluster definition file stores planning information about your cluster, enabling you to first define your cluster and then import the cluster definition file into your cluster definition to come a working cluster configuration.

    A cluster definition file can contain information about the following cluster components, but this information is saved only for informational purposes—not for HACMP configuration. Other AIX 5L system components manage the configuration data for these components:

  • Applications
  • Disks
  • Volume groups
  • Logical volumes
  • NFS mounted filesystems.
  • The Online Planning Worksheets application stores definition information about a cluster in an XML file. The structured format of an XML file, allows you to easily edit it by hand using a text or XML editor. This section explains concepts relevant to the HACMP cluster definition XML files; it does not explain XML concepts.

    Cluster Definition File Format

    The cluster definition file is a structured XML template of elements that contain data about your cluster configuration. All elements in the XML file must occur in the same sequence specified within the associated DTD and XSD schema files.

    Note: In XML files, the use of shorthand beginning and ending tags for elements with no data, such as <VALIDATED/> is not allowed, both the beginning and ending tags must be used. Ensure that you write constructions such as <tag/>, as <tag></tag>; this affects only a few entities, such as <VALIDATED/>.

    The following elements are required; all other elements are optional.

  • CONFIG
  • VERSION
  • NODES
  • NETWORKS
  • INTERFACES.
  • The following example shows the contents of a cluster definition file that uses only the required elements.

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" standalone="yes"?> 
    <CONFIG> 
    	<VERSION>5300</VERSION> 
    	<CLUSTER> 
    		<CLUSTERNAME>cluster</CLUSTERNAME> 
    		<AUTHOR></AUTHOR> 
    		<COMPANY></COMPANY> 
    		<DATE>Sun Sep 12 18:08:52 EDT 2004</DATE> 
    	</CLUSTER> 
    	<NODES> 
    		<NODE> 
    			<NODENAME>node1</NODENAME> 
    		</NODE> 
    	</NODES> 
    	<NETWORKS> 
    		<NETWORK> 
    			<NETWORKNAME>network1</NETWORKNAME> 
    			<NETWORKTYPE>ether</NETWORKTYPE> 
    			<IPALIASING>yes</IPALIASING> 
    			<NETMASK>255.255.255.0</NETMASK> 
    			</NETWORK> 
    	</NETWORKS> 
    	<INTERFACES> 
    		<INTERFACE> 
    			<INTERFACETYPE>ether</INTERFACETYPE> 
    			<NETWORKNAME>network1</NETWORKNAME> 
    			<NODENAME>node1</NODENAME> 
    			<IPLABELNAME>ip_label1</IPLABELNAME> 
    		</INTERFACE> 
    	</INTERFACES> 
    </CONFIG> 
    

    Sample Cluster Definition File

    To view or modify a sample cluster definition file of a two-node cluster, see:

    /usr/es/sbin/cluster/worksheets/cluster-sample.haw 
    

    You can edit this file using an XML editor. When you save the cluster definition file, you can use any filename, but use .haw (or .xml) as the extension.

    Cluster Definition Schema Files

    The cluster definition file is accompanied by two schema files (XSD and DTD). These files define the format to follow when creating an XML configuration file by hand. The XSD and DTD files enable you to validate your configuration file. The DTD file validates only the document structure. The XSD schema provides further validation by checking not only the document structure but also the type, sequence, and the composition of data. Use whichever one your prefer.

    By default, the XSD and DTD files are world and group readable; only the root user has read and write permissions (644). These files reside in the following locations:

  • /usr/es/sbin/cluster/worksheets/hacmp-v5300.xsd
  • /usr/es/sbin/cluster/worksheets/hacmp-v5300.dtd.
  • Converting an HACMP Cluster Configuration into OLPW

    In addition to creating cluster information, you can use the following means to convert your existing HACMP cluster information into a format Online Planning Worksheets can read:

  • Exporting a Cluster Definition File from SMIT
  • Converting a Snapshot to a Cluster Definition File.
  • Note: Although you can import a cluster definition and save it, some of the data is informational only. For information about informational components in a cluster definition file, see the section Entering Data in the Configuration Panels.

    Exporting a Cluster Definition File from SMIT

    Using SMIT, you can create a cluster definition file from an active HACMP cluster. Then you can open this file in the Online Planning Worksheets application.

    To create a cluster definition file from SMIT:

      1. Enter smit hacmp
      2. In SMIT, select Extended Configuration > Export Definition File for Online Planning Worksheets and press Enter.
      3. Enter field values as follows and press Enter:
    File Name
    The complete pathname of the cluster definition file.
    The default pathname is /var/hacmp/log/config.haw.
    Cluster Notes
    Any additional comments that pertain to your cluster. The information that you enter here will display in the Cluster Notes panel within Online Planning Worksheets.
      4. The Import Validation dialog box appears, which indicates whether the HACMP definition file validated successfully during the export.
      5. Open the cluster definition file in Online Planning Worksheets.
    For information about opening a cluster definition file, see the section Opening an Existing Cluster Definition File.

    Converting a Snapshot to a Cluster Definition File

    Converting a cluster snapshot to a cluster definition file enables the Online Planning Worksheets application or the cl_opsconfig utility to read in your snapshot information.

    When a snapshot is converted to a cluster definition file, all cluster information specified by the schema is converted—even information that Online Planning Worksheets does not support.

    To create a cluster snapshot:

      1. Enter smit hacmp
      2. In SMIT, select Extended Configuration > Snapshot Configuration > Convert Existing Snapshot for Online Planning Worksheets and press Enter.
      3. Enter field values as follows and press Enter:
    Cluster Snapshot Name
    The name of the Cluster Snapshot to convert.
     
    File Name
    The path where the cluster definition file will be written. If you provide a relative path name, the file is relative to the /var/hacmp/log directory. Maximum length is 128 characters.
    Description
    Any additional comments that pertain to your cluster. The information that you enter here will display in the Cluster Notes panel within Online Planning Worksheets.
      4. Open the cluster definition file in Online Planning Worksheets.

    For information about opening a cluster definition file, see the section Opening an Existing Cluster Definition File.

    Applying Worksheet Data to Your HACMP Cluster

    After you complete the configuration panels in the application, you save the file, and then apply it to a cluster node. If you use the Online Planning Worksheets application on a Windows system, you first copy the configuration file to a cluster node before applying it.

    Prerequisites

    Before applying your cluster definition file to a cluster, ensure the following conditions are met:

  • The HACMP software is installed on all cluster nodes.
  • All hardware devices that you specified for your cluster configuration are in place.
  • If you are replacing an existing configuration, any current cluster information in the HACMP configuration database was retained in a snapshot.
  • For information about creating, restoring, and applying cluster snapshots in a cluster environment, see Chapter 18: Saving and Restoring Cluster Configurations in the Administration Guide.
  • Cluster services are stopped on all nodes.
  • A valid /usr/es/sbin/cluster/etc/rhosts file resides on all cluster nodes. This is required for running the cl_opsconfig utility.
  • Applying Your Cluster Configuration File

    To apply your cluster definition file:

      1. From the Online Planning Worksheets application, validate your cluster definition file as described in section Validating a Cluster Definition.
      2. Create a report to document your cluster configuration as described in section Creating an HTML Configuration Report.
      3. Save the file and exit the application. If your cluster configuration file resides on a Windows system, copy the file to an HACMP node.
      4. From the cluster node, run the cl_opsconfig command as follows:
    /usr/es/sbin/cluster/utilities/cl_opsconfig your_config_file

    where your_config_file is the name of the configuration file on the node.

    The cl_opsconfig utility validates the file (if the Online Planning Worksheets application is installed locally), applies the information to your cluster, and then verifies it. During verification, onscreen messages appear, indicating the events taking place and any warnings or errors.

    You can view the cl_opsconfig error messages on screen, or redirect them to a log file. You can redirect the standard error output as in the follows for the korn shell (other shells may vary):

    /usr/sbin/cluster/utilities/cl_opsconfig your_config_file 2> output_file 
    

    Do not redirect all output (standard output and standard error).

    Troubleshooting Cluster Definition File Problems

    Validation first determines whether the <VALIDATED> element exists. If it does not exist and Online Planning Worksheets has been installed, OLPW validates the XML configuration file and processing continues. If OLPW has not been installed, an error message notifies you that Online Planning Worksheets is not installed and file verification terminates.

    If any error messages appear, fix the problem(s) using the Online Planning Worksheets application, and then repeat the steps described in Applying Worksheet Data to Your HACMP Cluster. If a prior cluster definition file exists, cl_opsconfig prompts you for confirmation before deleting it.

    Alternatively, you can address errors in HACMP SMIT. In this case, the final report generated from the Online Planning Worksheets application does not provide an accurate picture of your initial configuration.

    Where You Go from Here

    After you apply the configuration to your cluster, you have at a minimum a basic working HACMP configuration.

    Next proceed with additional configuration and customization tasks—for example, configuring AIX 5L Error Notification, runtime parameters, custom scripts, and so forth. For information about configuring and customizing HACMP, see the appropriate chapters in this guide or in the Administration Guide.


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