Admin Console running on SLES12 btrfs file system may show performance issues

  • 7022755
  • 20-Mar-2018
  • 31-May-2018

Environment


Access Manager 4.4
Access Manager 4.3
Access Manager Admin Console
SLES 12 OS with default file systems
eDirectory running on btrfs file system

Situation

During the Admin Console installation, the eDirectory component is installed in various locations. On SLES 12 OS the default file system is btrfs, and eDirectory is known to have some performance issues (  (https://www.netiq.com/documentation/access-manager-44/install_upgrade/data/b13chbnk.html). Although no issues have been reported of performance issues on the Admin Console, there are certain steps one can do to move the eDir database from a btrfs file system to a non btrfs file system without losing functionality.

Resolution

The following steps should be performed before upgrading from 4.4.0 to 4.4.1 on SLES 12 SP3 to move the DIB. 

At ssh or console terminal of Admin Console, please do the following:

1)  Stop eDirectory and Admin Console's tomcat instance in preparation of moving eDir dib directory.

/etc/init.d/novell-ac stop
ndsmanage stopall 

2)  Copy the eDirectory dib directory to a temporary location:

cp -rp /var/opt/novell/eDirectory/data/dib /tmp  


3)  Delete the dib directory: 

rm -r /var/opt/novell/eDirectory/data/dib


4)  Format a new partition using ext4 or another preferred file-system type other than btrfs.

Use mount point of /var/opt/novell/eDirectory/data/dib  


5)  Copy the eDirectory dib files from temporary location to newly partitioned mount point:

cp -rp /tmp/dib/* /var/opt/novell/eDirectory/data/dib


6)  Restart novell-ac and eDirectory services:

ndsmanage startall
/etc/init.d/novell-ac start
 
Once setup is up and running, we can upgrade to 4.4 or 4.4.1

 

The following is the warning we see in edir logs under /tmp/novell_access_manager if we upgrade existing Administration Console with the dib on btrfs file system:

WARNING: File system "BTRFS" is not supported for hosting DIB.

We recommend to migrate the existing DIB located at "/var/opt/novell/eDirectory/data/dib" on an unsupported "BTRFS" file system to a supported filesystem.