IBM Spectrum Scale Client script packages

Several script packages can be used instead of the IBM Spectrum Scale Client Policy to configure an application component in a virtual system pattern or classic virtual system pattern for use as a IBM Spectrum Scale Client.

When you configure a IBM Spectrum Scale Client to attach to a IBM Spectrum Scale Server, you typically use the IBM Spectrum Scale Client Policy method. However, when you use this policy, you cannot control the order in which the IBM Spectrum Scale Client code is run relative to the deployed client instance. The policy configuration takes place before the application component is configured. By design, policies are run before any script packages or software components are run during deployment.

You might have a situation where you need to install software components first, so that users and user groups that are required to attach to the shared file system are created before the IBM Spectrum Scale Client code is run to set up the file set.

To address this situation, you have the following options:
  • Instead of adding the IBM Spectrum Scale Client Policy to virtual system pattern components, you can add IBM Spectrum Scale Client script packages that are provided with Cloud Pak System.
  • You can also use these IBM Spectrum Scale Client script packages to configure classic virtual system pattern components to access the IBM Spectrum Scale shared file system.

These script packages are designed to be run on demand, so you can control when the IBM Spectrum Scale Client code is run.

The following three IBM Spectrum Scale Client script packages are provided in the Script Packages catalog:
Allocate Directories on IBM Spectrum Scale shared file server
This script package creates a new IBM Spectrum Scale file set within the specified file system. When you select to run this script package for the first time after deployment, the IBM Spectrum Scale Client is installed and configured to access the IBM Spectrum Scale Server.
IBM Spectrum Scale Client Operations
Use this script package to retrieve client status, connect to a IBM Spectrum Scale Server, reconnect to a IBM Spectrum Scale Server if the client has already been connected to a IBM Spectrum Scale Server, or generate a new IBM Spectrum Scale key.
IBM Spectrum Scale Client Install for off rack IBM Spectrum Scale Server
This script package installs a IBM Spectrum Scale client cluster and opens IBM Spectrum Scale ports for environments that use a remote IBM Spectrum Scale Server (an external IBM Spectrum Scale Server instance that was not deployed using the IBM Spectrum Scale Pattern Type) for off-rack server communication.

This script package is run in addition to the customized script packages that contain the appropriate IBM Spectrum Scale commands for making the connection to the external IBM Spectrum Scale Server. For more information on customizing and including all of these script packages in your IBM Spectrum Scale Client deployment, see the Related links.

Note: As you include these script packages in your pattern configurations, keep in mind the following considerations:
  • Both the Allocate Directories on GPFS shared file server and GPFS Client Operations script packages should be added to the same pattern component. These scripts are used to attach to the IBM Spectrum Scale Server, create file sets and run IBM Spectrum Scale Client operations.
  • The Allocate Directories on GPFS shared file server script package and GPFS Client Operations script package (Connect to same GPFS Server and Generate new GPFS key for Client Cluster operations) cannot be used if the client ran the GPFS Client Install for off rack GPFS Server script package and was connected to an external server.
  • These script packages can be used only in virtual system patterns and classic virtual system patterns.
  • The scripts are designed to be run on demand, or When I initiate it. You can change the scripts to run as you like, though as a best practice you should run the GPFS Client Operations script only on demand, because these are IBM Spectrum Scale operations that you run to retrieve client state, change keys, and reconnect to the server. If you clone the script packages to change the way they are run, make sure the cloned scripts use the same name as the initial script packages.
  • You can continue to add the IBM Spectrum Scale Client Policy to components in both virtual system patterns and virtual application patterns.
  • It is possible to use a mix of IBM Spectrum Scale Client Policy and IBM Spectrum Scale Client script packages, however you cannot use both methods at the same time on the same IBM Spectrum Scale Client. As a best practice, you should choose to use one method or the other.