NetWorker Cookbook

The NetWorker Cookbook is both a regular and library cookbook. It provides a networker custom resource that serves as an example for interacting with the NetWorker REST API.

Additionally, the cookbook provides sample recipes for using the custom resource. These recipes are heavily attribute driven.

Pull requests are gladly accepted!

Scope

This cookbook is concerned with Dell/EMC corporation's proprietary commercial data protection software called NetWorker. This software which must be procured directly from Dell/EMC.

This cookbook only installs basic client software. Specialty modules such as NMDA and NMM are currently out of scope. Configuration of many NetWorker Server items such as devices, media pools, volumes, etc are also currently out of scope.

Requirements

• Chef 12.5+
• Dell/EMC NetWorker 9.1+

Platform Support

The following platforms have been tested with Test Kitchen:

NetWorker Server:

• CentOS-7.2

NetWorker Client:

• CentOS-7.2

Cookbook Dependencies

This cookbook has the following dependencies:

• java
• hostsfile (for TestKitchen only)

Usage

Place a dependency on the networker cookbook in your cookbook's metadata.rb:

depends 'networker`

Then, in a recipe:

networker 'create-client' do
  client_name 'my-client.foo.bar'
  server_name 'networker-server.foo.bar'
  save_sets ['All']
  protection_groups ['Bronze-Filesystem']
  action :create
end

This will create a client named my-client.foo.bar on the NetWorker server networker-server.foo.bar. This client will have a saveset of All and will be placed in the Bronze-Filesystem protection group.

Attributes

See attributes/default.rb for default values.

Prerequisite Attributes

• default['java']['jdk_version'] - JRE (specifically v8) is a prerequisite for the NMC

NetWorker Installation Default Attributes

• default['nw']['install_source']- Packages required for server installation

The attributes below populate the response file required for the silent configuration of NetWorker's built-in authorization service. Configuration of LDAP authentication should be done after installation but is out-of-scope for this cookbook.

• default['nw']['emc_javadir'] - Should point to JAVA_HOME
• default['nw']['emc_tcuser'] - Default tomcat user
• default['nw']['emc_tcgroup'] - Default tomcat group
• default['nw']['emc_tcport'] - Default port
• default['nw']['emc_createtckeystore'] - Create tomcat keystore
• default['nw']['emc_tckeystore'] - Tomcat keystore location
• default['nw']['emc_tckeypassword'] - Tomcat keystore password
• default['nw']['emc_localadmin_password'] - Default NetWorker 'administrator' password
• default['nw']['emc_datadir'] - Default authentication service data location

NetWorker Management Console Default Attributes

• default['nw']['nmc']['package'] - Installation package for the NMC
• default['nw']['nmc']['db_user'] - NMC database user
• default['nw']['nmc']['db_group'] - NMC database group
• default['nw']['nmc']['db_pwd'] - NMC database password
• default['nw']['nmc']['authhost'] - Server hosting NetWorker's authc service; usually the NetWorker server

NetWorker Client install default attributes

• default['nw']['client']['path'] - Location of NetWorker client installation binaries
• default['nw']['client']['package'] - Name of NetWorker client installation package
• default['nw']['client']['create'] - Create a client entry on the NetWorker server during installation?
• default['nw']['client']['do_backup'] - Run an intial backup of the client after installation and creation?
• default['nw']['client']['savesets'] - An array of savesets for the client

Default ProtectionGroups have names of -; however that is not guaranteed to be true so we provide attributes for all three,

• default['nw']['client']['protection_groups'] - Array of protection groups for the client
• default['nw']['client']['policy'] - Policy name for the client (used for :backup action)
• default['nw']['client']['workflow'] - Workflow contained within the policy (used for :backup action)

NetWorker REST API default attributes

• default['nw']['api']['server'] - Name of the NetWorker server
• default['nw']['api']['port'] - Port to use (defaults to default['nw']['emc_tcport'] above)
• default['nw']['api']['version'] - API version to use
• default['nw']['api']['user'] - User account for authorization
• default['nw']['api']['pwd'] - Password for authorization (defaults to default['nw']['emc_localadmin_password'] above)
• default['nw']['api']['header_type'] - Content-Type to use; provided for future compatibility
• default['nw']['api']['header_auth'] - Authorization type to use; provided for future compatibility
• default['nw']['api']['uri'] - Default URI for access to API; constructed from other REST API attributes; provided for convenience

Recipes

default

This recipe does nothing.

hosts

This recipe is only for use with Test Kitchen. In order to have a complete envrionment for testing, all systems must be able to communicate with one another. Hosts file entries are the easiest way to accomplish this. Modify as needed for your environment.

server

Installs and configures the necessary NetWorker server software packages.

nmc

Installs the NMC. Note that one manual step is currently required in order for the NMC to run. This is due to an issue with the /opt/lgtonmc/bin/nmc_config script. Documentation indicates that a -slient option is available for use with a response file. However, the format of that file is not documented anywhere by Dell/EMC. This will be fixed as soon as the information is available.

Until that fix is complete, the /opt/lgtonmc/bin/nmc_config script must be run manually on the server to complete configuration. The REST API will not be available for use until this step is completed.

Please note that this cookbook does not curently configure items such as groups, devices, pools, etc. on the NetWorker server.

client

Use to install the necessary client software on a client system. This currently contains some logic to support multiple platforms but that functionality is not complete.

If node['nw']['client']['create'] is set to true, then the recipe will use the NW REST API to create a client entry on the NW server. This client will be called node['hostname'] by default. See the remainder of the node['nw']['client']... attributes to set items such as savesets and protection groups.

Additionally, if node['nw']['client']['do_backup'] is true, the client will perform an initial backup.

backup

Use to kick off an ad-hoc backup of a node. This recipe does NOT make use of the node['nw']['client']['do_backup'] attribute.

Resources

networker

This is the main resource that provides the networker custom resource.

Actions

:create: Creates a client entry on the NetWorker server. :backup: Initiate an ad-hoc backup of the client

Attribute Parameters

client_name: A string specifying the name of the client resource to create server_name: A string specifying the name of the NW server on which to create the client save_sets: An array of savesets for the client. Can also be specified as "All" but must be passed as an array. protection_groups: An array of protection groups for the client.

Examples

networker 'create_client' do
  client_name 'bilbo.middleearth.com'
  save_sets ['/rings`,`/sting`]
  protection_groups [`Gold-Dwarf-Friends`, `Platinum-Gandalf-Friends`]
  action :create
end

networker 'create_client' do
  client_name 'bilbo.middleearth.com'
  policy 'Gold'
  workflow 'Dwarf-Friends'
  action :backup
end