Creating a IBM Storage Scale Mirror configuration pattern

Use the Pattern Builder to create a virtual application pattern for deploying a IBM Storage Scale Server Mirror configuration.

Before you begin

You must be granted access to patterns, access to create patterns, or have the Workload resources administration with full permissions to complete this task.

About this task

Use the Pattern Builder to select a IBM Storage Scale Mirror virtual application template and configure it to create a virtual application pattern for deploying a IBM Storage Scale Server instance in a mirrored configuration that will be attached to a IBM Storage Scale Server Primary deployment.
Keep in mind the following conditions:
  • You must specify the same number of IBM Storage Scale Server nodes as the IBM Storage Scale Primary configuration to which you plan to attach the Mirror configuration. So if your target Primary configuration is configured with three IBM Storage Scale Server nodes, your Mirror configuration must also be configured with three IBM Storage Scale Server nodes.
  • The file system name that you specify must be the same name specified in the Primary configuration and the associated Tiebreaker configuration that you also attach.
  • You cannot attach a IBM Storage Scale Client to a mirror configuration.
  • The mirror configuration is not configured completely when it is deployed. Only the specified shared volumes are attached to the IBM Storage Scale Server virtual machines. When the deployed IBM Storage Scale Server Mirror configuration is later attached to the deployed IBM Storage Scale Server Primary configuration, the setup resumes and completes.

When you create a IBM Storage Scale Server virtual application, you select the GPFS Pattern Type 1.2 pattern type. This pattern type abstracts the infrastructure and middleware layers for the IBM Storage Scale workload. You then create a virtual application pattern by using the components that are associated with this pattern type.

Use the Pattern Builder to define, create, and deploy your virtual applications. For more information about creating virtual application patterns in Pattern Builder, see the Related links.

Procedure

  1. Click Patterns > Virtual Application Patterns.
  2. Click Create New.
  3. To build your virtual application pattern:
    1. Select the GPFS Pattern Type 1.2 pattern type from the menu.
    2. Select the GPFS Mirror virtual application template.
    3. Click Start Building.
      The Pattern Builder opens in a new window where you can add components and policies.
  4. In the pattern properties pane, specify the following information:
    Name
    The name of the virtual application pattern, such as IBM Storage Scale Server - Mirror Config.
    Description
    The description of the virtual application pattern. This field is optional.
    Type
    Leave Pattern selected to create a virtual application pattern or select Pattern Template to create a virtual application template that is used as the basis for creating other virtual application patterns.
    Lock option for plug-in usage
    Specify how this virtual application pattern is affected by upgrades to the pattern type or to IBM® Foundation Pattern.
    Unlock plug-ins
    If the pattern type is upgraded, use the latest versions of pattern type plug-ins. If IBM Foundation Pattern is upgraded, use the latest version.
    Lock all plug-ins except Foundation plug-ins
    If the pattern type is upgraded, do not change the version of the plug-ins that are associated with this virtual application pattern. If IBM Foundation Pattern is upgraded, use the latest version.
    Lock all plug-ins
    Do not change the version of plug-ins or the version of the IBM Foundation Pattern associated with this virtual application pattern when an upgrade occurs.
    Note: If you select Lock all plug-ins except Foundation plug-ins or Lock all plug-ins, you can view a list of which plug-ins are locked. Click the Source tab in Pattern Builder. The application model source is displayed. Search for the element plugins to view the list.
  5. Click Save and save the virtual pattern definition.
    You can alternatively click Save As to save as a new virtual application template that you can use to create other virtual application patterns.
  6. Configure the IBM Storage Scale Server component in Pattern Builder.
    1. With the IBM Storage Scale Server component selected in the canvas, configure the following settings in the properties pane:
      Name
      A unique name that identifies theIBM Storage Scale Server component in the Pattern Builder.
      Key Management section
      You can optionally provide the various SSH keys that the deployed IBM Storage Scale configuration uses. You can also specify keys at deployment time. These keys are generated on each deployment automatically if no keys are provided by the deployer. You can retrieve keys that are generated or updated after deployment, by using the Manage > Operations > GPFS_Manager operations view. If you do specify any keys at deployment time, ensure that you specify both private and public keys, using a tar.gz compression format.
      You can specify the following types of keys:
      IBM Storage Scale Managers Key
      This key is used by the IBM Storage Scale Manager virtual machines to communicate with other IBM Storage Scale Manager virtual machines.

      For example, when you attach a IBM Storage Scale Mirror or IBM Storage Scale Tiebreaker configuration to a IBM Storage Scale Primary configuration, all three managers, from the Primary, Mirror, and Tiebreaker deployments must have the same IBM Storage Scale Managers key installed. If not, you receive an error message indicating that the IBM Storage Scale Manager virtual machine from the Primary configuration is unable to communicate with the IBM Storage Scale Manager from the Mirror or Tiebreaker configurations. You must then install the same IBM Storage Scale Managers key on all managers, and try to attach again.

      When you create the IBM Storage Scale Server component by using the virtual application template, a default IBM Storage Scale Managers key, , is provided for you in this field.

      All IBM Storage Scale Server virtual application templates use the same default tar.gz file for the IBM Storage Scale Managers key, so when you deploy Primary, Mirror, or Tiebreaker configurations using these virtual application templates, their managers can already communicate with each other because they are sharing the same key.

      If you need to install the same IBM Storage Scale Managers key in these various configurations, you can follow this procedure:
      1. Retrieve the IBM Storage Scale Managers key from the primary configuration. Select Manage > Operations > GPFS_Manager > Manage Keys > Retrieve Key and select Manager.
      2. Pass the retrieved tar.gz file to the Mirror or Tiebreaker configurations by using either of the following methods:
        • Specify the tar.gz file in the Key Management section of the configuration during deployment time.
        • If the configurations are already deployed, select Manage > Operations > GPFS_Manager > Manage Keys > Install Key, then select Manager, and specify the tar.gz file obtained from the Primary configuration.
      IBM Storage Scale Cluster Key
      This key is installed on all of the IBM Storage Scale Server nodes, and is used by the IBM Storage Scale application to communicate within the nodes server cluster.
      IBM Storage Scale Clients Key
      This key is used to access the IBM Storage Scale Manager from a IBM Storage Scale Client. This is required so that the IBM Storage Scale Client can send requests to the IBM Storage Scale Manager virtual machine and pass any extra parameters required to add itself to the IBM Storage Scale cluster.
      IBM Storage Scale Configurations section
      In this section you select the type of IBM Storage Scale Server configuration to deploy. Available choices include:
      • Primary Configuration
      • Mirror Configuration
      • Passive Configuration
        Note: This configuration type is not supported in Cloud Pak System Software for Power®.
      • Tiebreaker

      Ensure that Mirror Configuration is selected to deploy a IBM Storage Scale Server mirrored instance that can be attached to a IBM Storage Scale Server primary configuration.

      Configure the following attributes:
      Number of IBM Storage Scale Node(s)
      Specifies the number of IBM Storage Scale Servers to deploy.
      File System name for selected shared volumes
      The file system name for the shared volumes (disks) that are used by the IBM Storage Scale shared file system. Do not specify the text string IBM Storage Scale string in the file system name.
      Note: The file system name must match the file system name specified in the IBM Storage Scale Server Primary configuration, or the attempt to attach the Mirror configuration will fail.
  7. Click Save.

Results

Your new virtual application pattern is saved. You can find it in the list of available virtual application patterns by selecting Patterns > Virtual Applications.

What to do next

You can continue to configure your IBM Storage Scale pattern deployment as needed (for example, you can create a IBM Storage Scale Server Tiebreaker configuration that you will use to manage a Primary with attached Mirror configuration), and you can deploy your IBM Storage Scale virtual application pattern to create the IBM Storage Scale Server instance in your Cloud Pak System Software for Power environment.

After deployment you can perform additional operations to manage the IBM Storage Scale configuration as needed.