Modifying FSN Interface

Question

I found some really good existing threads on this process but I still have some questions to get

some additional input.

This is what I currently have...

Primary NS480 (box I want to modify) which is replicating to an NS40G.

Both units are running version 5.6.49-3.

Each NS480 DataMover has 2 - 10 gig fibre and 2 - 1 gig copper ports.

At the time we connected the Celerra to the network, we only had 1 - 10 gig

port available per switch. So on each DM, we created a FSN of 10 gig

primary and 2 - 1 gig as standby.

Some time later they were able to to free up an additional 10 gig connection per switch

for me to configure the FSN with 2 - 10 gig copper per DM and drop the 2 - 1 gig

connections per DM that I am currently using.

From the threads this looks like the process...

1) Delete all CIFS Servers on any VDMs and Server_2 that are using the FSN (Do not need to unjoin the domain)

2) Delete all the interfaces on the FSN

3) Delete FSN

4) Delete Link Aggregation device (1-10 gig and 2-1 gig copper)

5) Re-create Link Aggregation (2 - 10 gig ports)

6) Re-create FSN

7) Re-create all interfaces on the FSN (keep all IPs the same)

8) Re-create the CIFS Servers with the same names and connect the appropriate interfaces

We replicate the VDM and some file sytems to an alternate data center so we would pause the replication during this process.

Here are my specific questions...

1) Our main CIFS Server has one local group (machine group) called local administrators.

I am concerned that if I delete the CIFS server and then re-create it, it will not have the

same machine SID and invalidate that local group. In the process listed above, if I do not

unjoin from the AD domain and just re-create the CIFS server with the same name would it

still use the same SID since it was never removed from AD?

2) If deleting the CIFS would cause a new machine SID and mess up this group, I would like

to consider failing over the NS480 to the NS40G. We replicate the VDM that contains this

CIFS Server of concern. We do not replicate all of our file systems. Is it possible

to fail over just the VDM to the NS40G and leave the file systems on the NS480

and make this FSN change?

I appreciate any insight and input

Chris

dynamox · Answer

last time i had to change ip address on a CIFS server i did not have to delete it (like you had to before). I am just thinking out-loud ..can you uncheck the interface you are using from the CIFS servers, delete interface, then re-create your FSN/LACP and re-assign interface to new device and assign it back to the CIFS server.&#xa0; Not sure how this impacts replication.

Rainer_EMC · Answer

Yes – you can add the new interface and then remove the old one from a CIFS server – all online

Of course you can’t remove the last interface of a CIFS server – that’s why you have to add the new one first

Rainer

Rainer_EMC · Answer

Yes, currently trunks and FSN’s cannot be changed – they need to be deleted and re-created PLEASE take a minute to fill out a product enhancement request on Powerlink for this Rainer

chrisp3 · Answer

You are absolutely correct. You can create a CIFS Server add an interface

and then remove that interface from that CIFS Server. I just quickly tried it.

I believe that is something new in the 5.6 code because I do not recall

being able to so this in the past.

I am setting up a test to try exactly what I am trying to do

where I create a CIFS Server with an interface on an FSN

and then disconnect the interface. I will then delete the interface

and destroy the FSN and rebuild. Once that is complete

I will try to recreate the interface and reattach the CIFS Server.

The key here is not having to delete the original CIFS Server

so as not to risk the machine groups and the permissions assigned.

Thanks

Chris

chrisp3 · Answer

Thanks Rainer...

Recreating the underlying FSN I do not see as a major issue.

I want to avoid having to delete the actual CIFS servers.

It looks like (thanks Dynamox) that you can disconnect the

interface from the CIFS Server leaving it intact.

I would then delete that interface, FSN, etc and then

rebuild them. I would then reconnect the interface to

the CIFS server (that I did not have to delete).

I am working on testing this now.

Thanks for your insight

Chris

Rainer_EMC · Answer

Yes, the enhancement that you can directly remove an interface from a CIFS server (and not just add one) got added somewhere in 5.6

What you could always do before it “interface stealing” – create a temp CIFS server and add that interface – it will remove it from its original CIFS server (if that one has more than on interface). Then you can delete the temp CIFS server and old interface

Rainer

Rainer_EMC · Answer

Well – I bet you can’t delete the FSN/trunk as long as there are interface using it

So if all your interfaces on that data mover are in use by this it gets tricky

Actually deleting a CIFS server sounds scarier than it is since we keep the important config like localgroups

As long as you re-create it with the same name you will get the “old” info

Might have to re-crate the shares though

So filing that PER would really help to show product management that there is customer demand for this enhancement

Rainer

dynamox · Answer

i would create a temp interface on mge0 or mge1 ..who cares it's just a place holder.

chrisp3 · Answer

I did some testing and this is what I was able to do. Let me know

if you think there is anything wrong with this process. This

test was done on a non replicated configuration and I am not

100% sure the impact of replication since it would use one

of the IP interfaces on the fail safe network.

Test config:

4 - CIFS Servers

NSTEST100 - VDM100

NSTEMP01 - Server_2

NISCSI01 - Server_2

NSEMCMGMT01 - Server_2

NSTEST100 has a share on it called test and the NTFS permissions

use a machine local group I created to allow a test user to have read only access

to files on share.

1) Record all Network Configuration including FSN, CIFS Servers, Netowrk Interfaces (including VLAN). Once you delete

this you will need to recreate it

2) Right click each CIFS Server and uncheck the interface it is associated with

3) Once all Network Interfaces are seperated from the CIFS Servers, delete each network interface that resides on the FSN you want to reconfigure

4) Delete the FSN

5) Delete the 2 aggregates (trunks) that made up the FSN

6) Create 2 new aggregates (trunks) that will make up the new FSN

7) Create the new FSN

8) Create the 4 network interfaces you deleted using same IP, Subnet, VLAN, etc (at this point you will be happy you recorded this information)

9) Re-associate the appropriate CIFS Server with its IP address

10) Test

After following this procedure, I was able to ping the IPs and was able to access the share on nstest100 and the security permissions appear to be retained.

One issue I appeared to run into was on step 2

When I got to the last CIFS server and tried to uncheck the IP interface, it failed.

For some reason it disabled the interface. I found this by doing a

cifs_server server_2

I then ran the following commands to get the interface back online

cifs_server server_2 -Disable nsemcmgmt01-inf

cifs_server server_2 -Enable nsemcmgmt01-inf

Even though it reported disabled, I had to disable it and then enable it. Just trying to

enable it did not work.

So this process appears to work, assuming I am not missing anything and I am not sure why I would

need a temporary interface.

The area I know I will probably have issues with is replication and I do not have a way to test this easily.

Since replication uses an IP address, it will probably prevent me from deleting the interface for that IP.

I have a feeling I will need to delete the entries under

"Celerra Network Servers" and "Data Mover Interconnects" under replications in the GUI

and do I just have to pause replication to accomplish this?

What would be the procedure to deal with reconfiguring FSN with replication in place?

Thanks

Chris

chrisp3 · Answer

Sorry, I should have read the 'response to'. As I explain above, I was able to remove all interfaces from the FSN on the Celerra without much issue.  Did have an issue where it disabled the last interface when I tried to uncheck.  Not sure if by design or just a fluke. Ultimately, however, I was able to remove all interfaces without having to delete the CIFS Servers. It is just replication I am concerned with now. Appreciate all the input I am getting Chris

chrisp3 · Answer

I'm sorry are you referring to how to deal with replication? What is EMC refusing? Offering what through the GUI? I apologize I can be thick.

Rainer_EMC · Answer

that would be my idea as well I haven't tried it though - we might be refusing it or at least not offering them in the GUI

dynamox · Answer

i think Rainer was replying to my comment about using mgeX device in case you have to have a interface assigned to a CIFS server. Did you try to simply un-check interface from a CIFS server ..did it complain that it needed one ?

robicj1 · Answer

has anyone tried this KB solution? https://support.emc.com/kb/193118 Deleting the interface with .server_config?

Celerra

Modifying FSN Interface

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