6.2.1 How to Prepare the Nodes and Install the Sybase Software

These are the high-level steps to prepare Sun Cluster nodes for Sybase installation and install the Sybase software:

• Choosing a location for the $SYBASE directories

• Creating /etc/group and /etc/passwd file entries for Sybase

• Installing the Sybase software

Perform all steps described in this section on all Sun Cluster nodes.

Consult your Sybase documentation before performing this procedure.

These are the detailed steps to prepare Sun Cluster nodes for Sybase installation.

1. Prepare the environment for Sybase installation.

   Choose a location for the $SYBASE directories, on either a local disk or multihost disk (the logical host).

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   Note -

   If you choose to install the Sybase binaries on the local disk of a physical host, then mount the Sybase software distribution as a file system on its own separate disk, if possible. This will prevent the Sybase binaries from being overwritten if the operating environment is reinstalled.

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2. On each node, create an entry for the database administrator group in the /etc/group file.

   This group normally is named dba. Verify that root and sybase are members of the dba group. For example:

   dba:*:520:root,sybase

   You can make the name service entries in a network name service (for example, NIS or NIS+) so that the information is available to Sun Cluster HA for Sybase clients, but you also should make entries in the local /etc files to eliminate dependency on the network name service. The name service entries should be identical on all nodes.

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   Note -

   This information must be replicated on each cluster node.

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3. On each node, create an entry for the Sybase login ID in the /etc/passwd file.

   This login ID is normally sybase. The home directory for this entry should be the Sybase installation directory. For example:

   # useradd -u 120 -g dba -d /Sybase directory sybase

4. Verify that the Sybase directories are owned by sybase and are included in the dba group.

   # chown sybase /sybase_directory # chgrp dba /sybase_directory

   If the Sybase home directory is a symbolic link, then use the following command:

   # chown sybase /sybase_directory # chgrp dba /sybase_directory # chown -h sybase /sybase_directory # chgrp -h dba /sybase_directory

5. Note the requirements for Sybase installation.

   Sybase binaries can be installed on either the local disks of the physical host or the multihost disks (the logical host). See "6.1.1 Selecting an Install Location for Sun Cluster HA for Sybase", for more information.

   If you plan to install Sybase software on the multihost disks, you first must start Sun Cluster and take ownership of the logical host. See "6.2.2 Creating a Sybase SQL Server and Setting Up Sun Cluster HA for Sybase", for details.

6. Install the Sybase software.

   Log in as sybase to ensure ownership of the entire directory before performing this step. For complete instructions on installing Sybase software, refer to the Sybase documentation.

   If the Sybase binaries are going to be stored on the multihost disks, install the Sybase Open Client (DB-Library) under /var/opt/sybase.

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   Note -

   The Sun Cluster HA for Sybase fault monitor requires that the ctlib.loc file exist in the $SYBASE/locales/us_english/iso_1 directory. You can obtain this file by installing a Sybase connectivity tool such as Open Client (DB-Library).

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