Data Migration - Novell FILE SYSTEM FACTORY 1.2.1 - ADMINISTRATION Manual

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Note: In release 1.20 of File System Factory™, Data Migration applies to User home directories only. A later
release of the product will introduce the ability to migrate group disk space.
In Chapter 9, "Policy Definitions and Application", we described how File System
Factory™ policies may be applied to containers, groups, or individual users and have
detailed how changing policy associations for a given object can result in a different
policy being applicable.
We have also described how moving objects in the tree may cause a new policy to be
applied based on the new location in the tree if container-based policy assignment is used.
Remember that a given policy points to one or more storage locations on the network. If
the policy that covers a given user changes, and the new policy points to different
locations than the original policy, File System Factory™ will move the user data so that it
resides in a location pointed to by the newly applicable policy definition.
Consider the following situation and then the possible solutions:
Situation: A school district would like to provide network disk storage for all students
such that the disk storage is always available to the student as they are promoted and
move from school to school in the district. Servers are located in each school with T-1
connectivity back to the district office. The data needs to be on the server at the school
that each student attends.
Solution 1: Create a hierarchy in eDirectory such that each school is represented by its
own container. Create a policy for each school and assign it to the school container and
configure it so that it points to the server at the school. Create the students in the
appropriate container based on the school. When students are promoted, say from Middle
School A to High School A, move the user objects to High School A's container and their
data will move from the server at the middle school to the server at the high school. This
will happen automatically with no backfill required since object moves trigger policy
reevaluation and application.
Solution 2: Create a flat structure in eDirectory where all user objects live. Create a
group representing each school. Create a policy for each school and assign it to the school
group. Add the students to the appropriate group based on their school. When students are
promoted, remove them from one school's group and add them to another school's group.
When you are ready for the data to move for a particular school, perform a backfill on the
group. The policy for the school will be applied and the data will be moved to the new
school server. This method is advantageous since it allows us to maintain a flat Directory
and have some manual control over the data move process.
Solution 3: Create a flat structure in eDirectory where all user objects live. Create a
policy for each school and point it to the server at the associated school. Set the policy
attribute on the user as a part of your provisioning process, perhaps a DirXML driver
connected to the student database. Then as users are promoted, the driver sets the policy
attribute to point to the new school. File System Factory™ acts on this event by applying
the new policy and moving the user data automatically to the new school server.
Novell File System Factory™ Administrator's Guide

Data Migration

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