Can you safely rename Cluster Resources?

There may be a number of reason for wanting to rename DS objects relating to the cluster environment. For resource management for instance or to change the name of a resource displayed in a Windows explorer view.
Can you safely rename Cluster Resources?

Please read this information carefully:

a) The object that is created inside the cluster container is called the cluster volume resource object

b) The renamed volume object (class=Volume) is called the cluster volume object

c) The NCP server (class=NCP Server) that is created to host the cluster volume object is called the virtual server object, or cluster virtual server object.

Which to rename?

1) Rename NDS volume object: Yes, they can rename it just like any other NDS volume object.

2) Rename cluster volume resource object (the one inside the cluster container): That name doesn't show up in name resolution. It's only the cluster volume and virtual server names that are visible to apps/clients.

3) The virtual server object cannot be renamed, but can easily be deleted and recreated with the desired name:

Steps:

4.1 Offline the cluster volume resource

4.2 Delete it - the object inside the cluster container (this does not delete the physical volume, but does delete the virtual server, pool and volume objects associated with the clustered volume )

4.3 Create a pool and volume object for the NSS volume still on disks by manually mounting the volume on one of the cluster nodes and use NSSMU to update NDS for both the pool and volume in that order.

4.4 The host server for the pool and volume object created above can be set to any of the servers in the cluster, however, it is best to perform this on a node that holds a copy of the partition holding the clustered objects.

4.5 Cluster enable the volume as they usually do (if using the latest snapins they can now customize the virtual server name).

5) Rename cluster object itself: Yes, you can rename it.

6) From cluster point of view, you have to update all Cluster scripts and Login scripts referring to the renamed resource.

The resource name is also the virtual server name, so ensure SLP reports the new name.

Note: One thing considered good practice is to Update eDirectory (via iManager) after the Virtual Server object is deleted for the pool and volume. Otherwise you might not be able to re-find the pool/volume in terms of the link with the physical server that was used to create the pool and volume in the first place.

Note: Using an alias object may be the simplest way to achieve your goal. But when an alias is used, the object name it points to is used in Windows Explorer view, not the alias object name. It is only a pointer / shortcut to the real object.

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Some of these details are provided in the Novell Cluster ATT Training

Formerly known as TID# 10092918