Run the Pre-Installation Script

StorNext uses four support directories to store application support information. These directories are stored locally on the Metadata Controller.

The StorNext support directories are described below.

Support Directory*	Description
Database /usr/adic/mysql/db	Records information about where and how data files are stored.
Journal /usr/adic/mysql/journal	Records changes made to the database.
Mapping /usr/adic/TSM/internal/mapping_dir	Contains index information that enables quick searches on the file system.
Metadata /usr/adic/database/mdarchives	Stores metadata archives (backups of file metadata).
* Depending on file system configuration, the support directory locations may be different. However, symbolic links in /usr/adic/ will always point to the support directories.

Before running the pre-installation script, be prepared to answer the following questions:

• Is this an upgrade installation?
• What local file systems can be used to store support information?
• Which version of StorNext will be installed?
• What is the maximum number of directories expected (in millions)?
• What is the maximum number of files expected (in millions)?
• How many copies will be stored for each file?
• How many versions will be retained for each file?

Note: Keep in mind that storage needs typically grow rapidly. Consider increasing the maximum number of expected directories and files by a factor of 2.5x to ensure room for future growth.

Note: The pre-installation script ignores unmounted file systems. Before running snPreInstall, be sure to mount all local file systems that will hold StorNext support information.

To run the pre-installation script, use the StorNext installation DVD.

1. Log on to the MDC as root.

2. Mount the StorNext installation DVD and change to the DVD root directory. When a CD-ROM is mounted on Linux systems, it may have noexec (non-executable) permissions. If you encounter this condition, the workaround to this Linux security issue (not StorNext) is to remount the CD-ROM with an executable option, as follows:

   1. At command prompt, enter: mount –t iso9660. The system responds with:

      /dev/cdrom on /mnt/cdrom type iso9660 (ro,noexec,nosuid,nodev)

   2. Use this information to mount the cdrom:

      mount –o remount,exec /mnt/cdrom

3. List the installation directories on the DVD. At the command prompt, type:

   ls -l

4. Change to the stornext_full directory.

   Note: Make sure you are in the stornext_full directory and not the fs_only directory. The fs_only directory installs the StorNext File System only.

5. List the directories in the stornext_full directory. At the command prompt, type:

   ls -l
6. Identify the correct installation directory for your operating system and hardware platform, and then change to that directory. For example, for Red Hat Linux 7 running on an x86 64-bit platform, change to the RedHat7_x86_64 directory.

7. Run the script. At the command prompt, type the following:

   ./snPreInstall

   The pre-installation script runs.

   

8. Follow the onscreen instructions, and answer each question when prompted. The script outputs results based on the information you entered.

After you enter all requested information, the pre-installation script outputs the following results:

• Estimated disk space required for each support directory.
• Recommended file system location for each support directory.

There are three types of directory recommendations, as indicated by the text preceding the recommendation. The three types of recommendations are described below.

Type	Description
RECOMMEND	The suggested directory locations will result in optimal system performance.
NOTE	The suggested directory locations are valid but system performance will not be optimal.
SPACE	Additional hard disk space is required to store the required support directories.

The pre-installation script bases directory location recommendations on the following criteria:

• To aid disaster recovery, the Database and Journal directories should be located on different file systems.
• For optimal performance, each support directory should be located on its own local file system, and each local file system should reside on a separate physical hard disk in the MDC.

Note: These recommendations apply to non-HA systems only.

Note: Do not change the location of support directories manually. Instead, use the installation script to specify the location for support directories. For more information, see Run the StorNext Installation Script.