Environment
Novell Open Enterprise Server 2 (OES 2) Linux Support Pack 3
Novell Open Enterprise Server 2 (OES 2) Linux Support Pack 2
Novell Open Enterprise Server 11 (OES 11) Linux
Situation
A number of backup performance problems have been reported to Novell Technical Services.
After analyzing the various reports, a root cause has been identified for these reported performance problems, and it was determined infra-structural changes within the customers environment were the root cause for this particular group of customers.
Over the years, with Novell Open Enterprise Server for Linux technology evolving, and the development and supportability for Novell NetWare 6.5 declining, customers have been deploying new Open Enterprise Linux servers, and at the same time, have gradually have been phasing out Novell Netware 6.5 servers from the environment by moving the services to OES Linux.
In terms of running SMS based backup's, this meant that those customers mostly had configured Open Enterprise Server Linux to backup Linux based file system targets, but also had configured the OES Linux environment to be able and backup the NetWare based file system targets using NetWare emulation .
With time progressing, and more and more 'old' NetWare servers being phased out, the backup configuration was never changed, and continued to run being in both OES Linux, as well as 'NetWare emulation' mode..
After analyzing the various reports, a root cause has been identified for these reported performance problems, and it was determined infra-structural changes within the customers environment were the root cause for this particular group of customers.
Over the years, with Novell Open Enterprise Server for Linux technology evolving, and the development and supportability for Novell NetWare 6.5 declining, customers have been deploying new Open Enterprise Linux servers, and at the same time, have gradually have been phasing out Novell Netware 6.5 servers from the environment by moving the services to OES Linux.
In terms of running SMS based backup's, this meant that those customers mostly had configured Open Enterprise Server Linux to backup Linux based file system targets, but also had configured the OES Linux environment to be able and backup the NetWare based file system targets using NetWare emulation .
With time progressing, and more and more 'old' NetWare servers being phased out, the backup configuration was never changed, and continued to run being in both OES Linux, as well as 'NetWare emulation' mode..
Resolution
The solution to these kind of backup performance problems were in the reconfiguration of SMS, to run in native 'Linux' mode, versus the 'Dual' mode that would support NetWare emulation.
When there's no longer a requirement to backup NetWare based file system targets, please reconfigure SMS to backup OES Linux based file system targets only.
Example : "smsconfig -l tsafs --tsaMode=linux"
The proper syntax is documented in the official Novell documentation collateral here :
"Backing Up Data Using SMS"
When there's no longer a requirement to backup NetWare based file system targets, please reconfigure SMS to backup OES Linux based file system targets only.
Example : "smsconfig -l tsafs --tsaMode=linux"
The proper syntax is documented in the official Novell documentation collateral here :
"Backing Up Data Using SMS"
Cause
As documented, the 'NetWare Emulation' mode for SMS is intended to provide a migration path. When there is no further requirement and need for NetWare emulation in the SMS based backup's, the SMS configuration should be updated to reflect the current environment.