Connecting to an external IBM Spectrum Scale Server

You can create and add custom script packages to your IBM Spectrum Scale Client to connect to an external IBM Spectrum Scale Server after deployment.

You can configure your IBM Spectrum Scale Client running in a Cloud Pak System environment to connect to an external IBM Spectrum Scale Server running outside a Cloud Pak System environment. Using customized script packages, you can automate the majority of the client setup process, to avoid running IBM Spectrum Scale commands on the client virtual machine manually.

The external IBM Spectrum Scale Server support allows IBM Spectrum Scale Client instances, running on a Cloud Pak System environment, to connect to existing IBM Spectrum Scale Server instances, deployed outside of the Cloud Pak Systemenvironment. Since the IBM Spectrum Scale Server cluster is running outside of the Cloud Pak System environment, it is not possible to use the IBM® Pattern for IBM Spectrum Scale to manage the IBM Spectrum Scale Server, so the user must run all required IBM Spectrum Scale commands on the Server cluster manually.

Use this external IBM Spectrum Scale Server support if you want to connect to a IBM Spectrum Scale Server deployed outside of Cloud Pak System. You can later move this client to a IBM Spectrum Scale Server instance deployed by using the IBM Spectrum Scale pattern, on Cloud Pak System. You can do so by using the Connect operation available on the client instance, from the Manage action.

If you choose to use this approach, keep in mind that you must manually manage the IBM Spectrum Scale Client instance communication with the server, and by doing so you do not benefit from the support that is available with the IBM Pattern for IBM Spectrum Scale. The following requirements are only applicable to external IBM Spectrum Scale Servers:
  • The user who deploys the IBM Spectrum Scale Client instance must have SSH access to the IBM Spectrum Scale Server instance. This user must run IBM Spectrum Scale commands on the IBM Spectrum Scale Server cluster, with root authority. As a result, the user who deploys the IBM Spectrum Scale Client instance is expected to have good knowledge of IBM Spectrum Scale commands and must be allowed to run IBM Spectrum Scale commands on the server.
  • The user who deploys the IBM Spectrum Scale Client instance must manage the client instance and manually run IBM Spectrum Scale commands such as: exchanging keys between server and client (which is needed when the IBM Spectrum Scale Serverr keys are changed or when the client needs to generate new keys), running IBM Spectrum Scale cluster status operations on client instances, and requesting access authorization when IBM Spectrum Scale Clients access a new file system on the IBM Spectrum Scale Server.
TheIBM Pattern for IBM Spectrum Scale handles these requirements for you when the IBM Spectrum Scale Client instance is not using the external IBM Spectrum Scale Server support.

You should consult your IBM Spectrum Scale product documentation for information on setting up the external IBM Spectrum Scale Server. After setting up the external IBM Spectrum Scale Server, the procedure documented here includes additional IBM Spectrum Scale commands that you must run on the server to complete the setup.

The following steps outline the general procedure for connecting your IBM Spectrum Scale Client running in the Cloud Pak System environment to an external IBM Spectrum Scale Server. Note that this procedure is supported only for virtual system patterns and classic virtual system patterns because they can include script packages.
  1. Create the external IBM Spectrum Scale Server, as described in your IBM Spectrum Scale product documentation. See the Related link for more information.
  2. Create the script package archive file, by using the example code provided.
  3. Import the archive file into the script packages catalog. See the Related link for information on working with script packages.
  4. Create a IBM Spectrum Scale Client in a virtual system pattern by using the Pattern Builder. If you are working with classic virtual system patterns, you can also create the IBM Spectrum Scale Client in a classic virtual system pattern by using the Pattern Editor.
    As part of this creation process, you must add to your IBM Spectrum Scale Client pattern component either of the following items that provide additional installation code for the IBM Spectrum Scale function:
    • The IBM Spectrum Scale Client Policy (supported only in virtual system patterns, not classic virtual system patterns)
    • The GPFS Client Install for off rack GPFS Server script package (supported in both virtual system patterns and classic virtual system patterns).

    You then continue by adding to your IBM Spectrum Scale Client pattern component the script package that you created and imported into the catalog from the previous steps.

    See the Related link for information on creating virtual system patterns and working with script packages.

  5. Deploy your virtual system pattern to create the IBM Spectrum Scale Client. Note that the GPFS Client Install for off rack GPFS Server script package (if used) and the script package that you created are configured to be run manually, so that they are not run automatically at deployment time.
  6. After successfully deploying the IBM Spectrum Scale Client, run the GPFS Client Install for off rack GPFS Server script package (if used) to install the IBM Spectrum Scale Client cluster. The IBM Spectrum Scale Client Policy code is run automatically as part of the deployment if you configured the client by using the IBM Spectrum Scale Client Policy instead of the IBM Spectrum Scale Client script packages. This step installs the IBM Spectrum Scale Client cluster only. It does not include the authentication with the IBM Spectrum Scale Server cluster and shared file system, which is handled by running the script package in the next step, after exchanging keys between the Server and Client cluster.
  7. Perform a number of manual steps to exchange the key information between the Client and Server cluster and to configure the Server cluster to allow access to the cluster.
  8. Run your second script package to connect to the external IBM Spectrum Scale Server.