HP Tru64 UNIX Release Notes for Version 5.1B-4 (13157)

• The addition of several new tunable attributes to the NFS and RPC subsystems enable you
to modify these kernel subsystem configurations using the sysconfig command.
• Modifications to the fsdb utility enable it to operate on a file system image as well as on a
special file.
TruCluster Server Enhancements
This release provides many enhancements to the TruCluster Server software. The following
sections provide brief descriptions of some of these improvements.
Enhanced Distance Cluster Interconnect
This release provides support for Enhanced Distance Clusters. An Enhanced Distance Cluster is
a cluster in which the interconnect has been extended up to 100 km using a gigabit LAN Ethernet
connection. An Enhanced Distance Cluster provides basic high availability services in the event
of the loss of a single component. However, it does not include all of the high-availability services
provided by TruCluster Server. See Appendix A of the Patch Summary and Release Notes document
for information about setting up and configuring an Enhanced Distance Cluster.
Link Aggregation Extended to Cluster LAN Interconnects
This release provides enhanced support for link aggregation (LAG) by extending it to cluster
LAN interconnects. It does this by decreasing the latency associated with time-critical Interconnect
Communication Subsystem (ICS) remote procedure calls and by increasing the available
bandwidth of the LAN interconnect, thereby enabling increased interconnect throughput.
Latency is improved though multiple active interfaces, decreasing queue sizes (link aggregation),
and through the separation of ICS channels that prefer low latency from channels that require
high bandwidth. Throughput is improved by using multiple active interfaces, decreasing queue
lengths.
The primary goal is to distribute cluster component channel traffic among the interfaces that
form part of the link aggregation group.
Cloning Offers Alternative to No-Roll Patching
This release provides a new installation method, generically referred to as cloning, using a new
tool, named dupclone. The process, which provides an alternative to no-roll patching, consists
of two primary steps:
• Creating an exact duplicate of an existing system on an alternate set of disk drives.
• Using dupclone to install the patch kit to the alternate disk set. After completion, the system
can immediately be rebooted using the alternate disks.
See the Patch Kit Installation Instructions document and the new dupclone(8) reference page for
information about using dupclone.
See the section “Cluster-Specific Installation and Removal Release Notes” (page 24) for cloning
release notes.
New Cluster Command Sends ping Packets over TCP
A new TruCluster Server command, clu_ping, sends ping packets over the TCP layer rather
than the Internode Communication Subsystem (ICS) layer on clusters with LAN as the
interconnect.
Changes to Tru64 UNIX Products
The Tru64 UNIX media kit includes the Associated Products CDs, which delivers additional
products and components to your Tru64 UNIX environment.
TruCluster Server Enhancements 9