Configuring Cluster Group Clients for Non-Microsoft Clusters (Windows)

After the Commvault software is installed on all the physical nodes that host the cluster group, you must configure a cluster group client in the CommCell Console to protect cluster resources on the physical nodes.

Procedure

Step 1: Create the Cluster Group Client in the CommCell Console

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the Client Computers node and then click New Client > Clustered Server > WindowsCluster.

2. On the New Windows Cluster Client dialog box, specify the details of the cluster that you want to protect to create the cluster group client.

   1. In the Client Name box, type a name for the cluster group.

   2. In the Host Name box, type the fully qualified domain name of the cluster group.

      Note: The host name of the cluster should not be used by any existing client in your CommCell environment.

   3. Click Next.

   4. Review the cluster group information and click Finish.

      The Advanced Client Properties dialog box appears. If the dialog box does not automatically open, right-click the Cluster_Group_Client, and then click Properties. In the Client Computer Properties dialog box, click Advanced.

3. On the Advanced Client Properties dialog box, click the Cluster Group Configuration tab.

   • All the Windows clients that are available in the CommCell will be listed in the Available list. Select the physical computers (nodes) where you installed the necessary Agents from the Available list, and then click Add > to move the client to the Selected list.

   • Click the Agents tab.
     Select the Agents you want to use in the cluster group client from the Available list and click Add > to move the Agent to the Selected list.

4. Click the Job Configuration tab.

   In the Job Results Directory box, type the path for the job results directory. Ensure that the directory resides on a shared cluster drive.

   Note

   The Browse button does not work when you configure the cluster group client for the first time. After the initial configuration, you can use the button to update the directory (if required).

   In the case of MediaAgent and ContinuousDataReplicator, the Job Result directory path will be used for both the Index Cache and CDR Log directories respectively unless another directory location is provided.

   Click OK.

5. In the Information dialog box, click OK.

   The cluster group client is successfully created. You can continue to configure failovers by configuring cluster resources and adding service dependencies.

Step 2: Configure Cluster Resources

After configuring the cluster group client, services should be added as generic services. For the cluster group to fail over if the associated service stops, you must designate the <Cluster Plug-in (Cluster Group) (Instance)>service as "critical".

1. Click the Windows Start button, click Run, type services.msc and press Enter. Services window will be displayed.

2. Locate the services for each installed cluster group. For example, Commvault Cluster Plugin (penodevn1_netwo) (instance001)).

3. Right-click this service, select Properties, and locate the service name in the General tab (for example, GxClusPlugin (penodevn1_netwo) (Instance001)).

   Notes

   • The service name is case and space-sensitive, so record it exactly as it appears.

   • If you created multiple cluster groups, you can designate each of the associated services as critical.

4. From the Cluster Administrator, navigate to the appropriate Cluster group. Create a generic service resource for the cluster plugin service.

5. If you want an automatic failover to occur, mark the resource as Critical and Enabled.

   Note

   If you created multiple cluster groups, you can designate each of the services associated with the corresponding cluster group as "critical".

6. Repeat this procedure on each physical computer hosting the cluster.

7. Create Service Dependencies.

   1. In the Cluster Administrator, click Resources.

   2. Click Link and make the Cluster plugin resource dependent upon the Mount resource and the Lanman service.

8. Associate Services with the Current Active Node.

   1. In the Cluster Administrator interface, navigate to the appropriate GenericService group.

   2. Right-click the cluster plugin resource.

   3. From the short-cut menu, click Online and the name of the current active node.

Step 3: Add Service Dependencies

By default, a failure of any Agent software (for example, Windows File System ) on the active node will not cause a failover to be initiated. To configure a cluster server to failover when the Agent software fails, you are required to perform the following steps on each of the physical computers configured to host the cluster group:

Add the list of Services that GxClusPlugin must monitor for failures

Configure the sServiceMonitorList additional setting with a list of services that GxClusPlugin will monitor for failure. For information about the services used by an Agent or MediaAgent, which can be listed in this additional setting, see Services.

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the <Cluster Group Client>and then click Properties.

2. On the Client Computer Properties dialog box, click Advanced.

3. On the Advanced Client Properties dialog box, click the Additional Settings tab, and then click Add.

4. In the Name box, type sServiceMonitorList. Once entered, the Category and Type details will be automatically populated. Alternatively, you can click Lookup and search for the additional setting by typing the additional setting name in the Find box or scrolling through the list. Once found, double-click the additional setting from the lookup window.

5. In the Value box, type the services that need to be monitored by the cluster plug-in.

   Example: GxCVD(Instance001);GxClMgrS(Instance001)

6. Click OK. Click OK.

Configure the Monitoring Frequency

Configure the sServiceMonitorFrequency additional setting for the frequency (in seconds) at which those services should be polled for failure. This value should be less than the service restart interval being monitored, if any.

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the <Cluster Group Client>and then click Properties.

2. On the Client Computer Properties dialog box, click Advanced.

3. On the Advanced Client Properties dialog box, click the Additional Settings tab, and then click Add.

4. In the Name box, type sServiceMonitorFrequency. Once entered, the Category and Type details will be automatically populated. Alternatively, you can click Lookup and search for the additional setting by typing the additional setting name in the Find box or scrolling through the list. Once found, double-click the additional setting from the lookup window.

5. In the Value box, type the time interval in seconds. This time interval will be the frequency at which the services will be pooled for status on the active node of a cluster.

   The default value is 30.

6. Click OK.

7. Click OK.

Configure GxClusPlugin Properties

Configure the properties of GxClusPlugin so that a failover will be triggered by a failure of any of the services listed in the sServiceMonitorList additional setting.

For Windows 2008 Server

1. From the Failover Cluster Manager console, right-click GxClusPlugin listed under Cluster Core Resources > Other Resources, and then select Properties.

2. Click the Policies tab and select the If restart is unsuccessful, fail over all resources in this service or application check box.

3. Click OK.

For Windows 2003 Server

1. From the Cluster Administrator, right-click GxClusPlugin listed under Other Resources, and then select Properties.

2. Click the Advanced tab and select Restart and Affect the Group, and click OK.

What to Do Next

Create a subclient to define the data that you want to backup. After a subclient is created and a storage policy is configured for this cluster group client, you can perform backup and recovery operations. For information about configuring a subclient, see Subclients for the Windows File System Agent.