IBM Storage Scale Client script packages

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

When you configure a IBM Storage Scale Client to attach to a IBM Storage Scale Server, you typically use the IBM Storage Scale Client Policy method. However, when you use this policy, you cannot control the order in which the IBM Storage 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 Storage Scale Client code is run to set up the fileset.

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

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

The following three IBM Storage Scale Client script packages are provided in the Script Packages catalog:
Allocate Directories on IBM Storage Scale shared file server
This script package creates a new IBM Storage Scale file set within the specified file system. When you select to run this script package for the first time after deployment, the IBM Storage Scale Client is installed and configured to access the IBM Storage Scale Server.
IBM Storage Scale Client Operations
Use this script package to retrieve client status, connect to a IBM Storage Scale Server, reconnect to a IBM Storage Scale Server if the client has already been connected to a IBM Storage Scale Server, or generate a new IBM Storage Scale key.
IBM Storage Scale Client Install for off rack IBM Storage Scale Server
This script package installs a IBM Storage Scale client cluster and opens IBM Storage Scale ports for environments that use a remote IBM Storage Scale Server (an external IBM Storage Scale Server instance that was not deployed using the IBM Storage 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 Storage Scale commands for making the connection to the external IBM Storage Scale Server. For more information on customizing and including all of these script packages in your IBM Storage 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 Storage Scale Server, create file sets and run IBM Storage Scale Client operations.
  • The Allocate Directories on GPFS shared file server script package and GPFS Client Operations script package (Connect to same IBM Storage Scale Server and Generate new IBM Storage Scale key for Client Cluster operations) cannot be used if the client ran the IBM Storage Scale Client Install for off rack IBM Storage Scale 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 Storage 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 Storage Scale Client Policy to components in both virtual system patterns and virtual application patterns.
  • It is possible to use a mix of IBM Storage Scale Client Policy and IBM Storage Scale Client script packages, however you cannot use both methods at the same time on the same IBM Storage Scale Client. As a best practice, you should choose to use one method or the other.