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Conference decwet::winnt-clusters

Title:WinNT-Clusters
Notice:Info directories moved to DECWET::SHARE1$:[NT_CLSTR]
Moderator:DECWET::CAPPELLOF
Created:Thu Oct 19 1995
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:863
Total number of notes:3478

700.0. "Macintosh volumes on clustered failover groups" by MQOOA::ras022p01.mqo.dec.com::courchesne (Bon renom et loyaut�) Thu Mar 20 1997 10:11

Hi to all,

Some of us, mostly those who deal with the publishing companies, encounter 
many Macintosh in the NT world.

We run in many difficutlies and pitfalls in trying to configure Macintosh 
volumes that are beeing made available on Clustered disk.

The purpose of this note is to centralize the discussion on this rarely seen 
topic.

Read on and let's try to understand the problems related with the Macintosh 
world.

Andre J. Courchesne
DIGITAL Technical support 
Montr�al QU�BEC
Canada
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700.1Bizarre behavior of volumes residing on clustered diskMQOOA::ras022p01.mqo.dec.com::courchesneBon renom et loyaut�Thu Mar 20 1997 10:1531
I'm, right now, configuring an NT cluster with an attached MAC on it.

The cluster is running V1.0 with no service pack 2.

Both servers are running NT3.51 SP5 and are configured in the network 
environment to support Macintosh volume.  I'm experiencing some real bizzare 
behavior.

1- The caching on the client is not consistent with the volume failing from 
one server to the other.

2- When, from the client, I create extra entry in the volume, I see it on the 
server directory structure, when the cluster moves from one server to the 
other, I don't see the directory structure that was created.

3- On the NT servers, in the disk administrator, I get fantom drives added 
each time the cluster fails over.  The list of drives went fror the original 
3 drives to 5 drives after a couple of failovers.  It is allways the MAC host 
drive that offers the MAC volume that creates the fantom drive.

4- If I create a file on SERVER1 in the Macintosh volume and kill the 
SERVER1, the service is brought back to SERVER2 but I do not see the file in 
the volume (even if I see it in the file manager on NT).

I'm really not sure if I can demo the capacity of putting a volume back on 
line (with a manual reconnect from the MAC client) to my customer.  The $$$ 
is potential and I'd appreciate all the help available.

Andre J. Courchesne
DIGITAL Montr�al

700.2A solution including scripts...MQOOA::ras022p01.mqo.dec.com::courchesneBon renom et loyaut�Thu Mar 20 1997 15:0444
Well, after working on it for 2 days, I found that the problem resides in the 
fact that the both the NT servers, when in cluster;

1- Broadcast the MAC Volume even if it isn't physically available
2- The MacFile record of the service disapeers from either node if it isn't 
stopped properly.
3- The MAC Volume needs to be stopped if a manual failover is performed.

Adding a script to the failover object solved the problem.

The script, broken in 2 parts, performs the following.
a- When the disk comes online; configures the MacFile volume to be put online
b- When the disk is manually failed over; disconnects all users from the 
volume

Here are the *very* simple scripts:

MACON.BAT  (Performed when the disk is brought online)

@echo off
echo You execute this command when the system comes online
macfile volume /add /name:quebecor /path:n:\quebecor
goto finish 
:finish

MACOFF.BAT (performed if the disk is manually failed over)

@echo off
echo You execute this command when the system is manually failed over
macfile volume /remove /name:quebecor
goto finish 
:finish
 

In this example, the disk on the cluster is drive N and the Mac Volume is 
named "quebecor".  The syntax for the MACFILE commands may be obtained bt 
typing the MACFILE at a DOS prompt.  Let it be known that the spacing of the 
command is extremely important for the command to work.

I'm presenting the solution next Monday.  I hope that the customer will be as 
impressed as I.

Andre J. Courchesne
DIGITAL Montreal