External Storage Options

Installing and Maintaining CA AppLogic › BFC User Guide › Modifying a Grid › External Storage Options

External Storage Options

You can set defaults for external storage for your grids. When you create a grid, this information displays on the Storage page of the Add Grid wizard.

You can also add, remove, or modify external storage for your grid at a later time. On the Storage tab of the Grid Properties page you can do the following:

Note: When you migrate volumes from local to external storage, you must execute manual commands to migrate controller and non-controller volumes.

Switch from Local to External Storage for a Grid

You can specify external storage for an existing grid that uses local storage. In earlier versions of the BFC, you could only specify external storage during the grid create process if you already set defaults on the Administration page. This process includes changing settings on the Storage tab of the Grid Properties page and executing commands to migrate your storage.

Follow these steps:

Click Grids on the left menu.
The Grids Overview pages opens.
Double-click the Grid name you want to work with.
The Grid Properties page opens, on the Servers tab.
Click the Storage tab.
On the External Storage drop-down box, select NFS.
The values you defined on the Administration page, General tab display for the IP address and share name fields.

You can accept the default entries or modify them.
Click the Test button to verify your IP address and share name.
- If the test is successful an OK prompt displays.
- If the test is not successful, an error message displays with more information. You can click the Submission Text button to capture the text for a support issue.
Click Save and Reboot.
Your values are saved and the grid reboots.
When the grid returns to the running state, perform the manual steps to migrate your controller and non-controller volumes from local to SAN.

Restore Local Volume Storage for a Grid

You can restore local volume storage for a grid on which you specified external storage. You should migrate controller volumes using the shell commands before you change the settings in the Storage tab of the Grid Properties.

Follow these steps:

Issue the following command on the primary grid server to migrate all controller volumes from SAN to local storage:
```
vol relocate --all store=local
```
This command stops the grid controller and migrates all controller volumes to local storage. It does not restart the grid controller.
Reboot each grid server using the following command:
```
reboot
```
Migrate all non-controller volumes from SAN to local storage using this command:
```
vol relocate --all --force store=local
```
You can now use the BFC to reset the storage values for the grid. Click Grids on the left menu.
The Grids Overview pages opens.
Double-click the Grid name that you want to migrate from SAN to local storage.
The Grid Properties page opens, on the Servers tab.
Click the Storage tab.
On the External Storage drop-down box, change NFS to None.
Click Save and Reboot.
You are prompted to confirm the operation. A confirmation dialog opens with more information, including the names of grids currently using the external storage. Select one of the following:
- Ignore volumes on external storage
  This action deletes the external volumes when local storage is restored.
  
  Use this option when you plan to migrate all volumes (applications, catalogs, and so on) from the external storage back to the local storage for the grid.
- Preserve external storage content
  Do not delete the external volumes when local storage is restored.
Click OK to proceed.

Modify External Storage Values for a Grid

You can modify the specifications for external storage for a grid. When you save the values after making your changes, the grid stops. You then manually copy the grid-specific directory structure from the current NFS share to the new NFS share before you restart the grid.

Follow these steps:

Click Grids on the left menu.
The Grids Overview pages opens.
Double-click the Grid name that you want to work with.
The Grid Properties page opens, on the Servers tab.
Click the Storage tab.
Change the information in the External Storage IP or External Storage Share.
Click Save and Stop.
This action stops the grid. You are prompted to confirm your storage reconfiguration.
Copy the directory structure for the grid from the current NFS share to the new NFS share. The Confirmation prompt displays the source and destination folders for the volumes. Make sure that the permissions of all of the files in the source and destination folders are the same. If they are not, modify the permissions with the following command:
```
chown nfsnobody:nfsnobody -R <path of folder>
```
After you copy the directory structure, restart the grid. In the Grid Overview page select the grid and then click Start on the Grid Actions menu.
The new external storage settings are activated.

Migrate Volumes to Manage External Storage

When you switch from local to external storage you must perform some manual steps to migrate your controller and non-controller volumes.

Follow these steps:

Migrate Controller Volumes
You can migrate controller volumes using a shell command you execute on the on the primary server for the grid you are migrating from local to external storage, not on the grid controller.

To migrate all controller volumes from local to SAN storage, issue this command on the primary grid server:
```
vol relocate --all store=san
```
This command stops the grid controller, migrates all controller volumes to the SAN, and then restarts the grid controller.
Migrate Non-Controller Volumes
You migrate non-controller volumes using a shell command you execute on the grid controller.

To migrate all non-controller volumes from local to SAN storage, issue this command on the grid controller:
```
vol relocate --all --force store=san
```