topic Re: Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center in ExtremeCloud IQ- Site Engine Management Center

Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center

ABPKN — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 20:06:54 GMT

Hello everyone,

unfortunately I can't mount a remote share on a ubuntu-based Extreme Management Center appliance (8.4.3.24) for ease of schedule automated backups.

After creating a local mounting point and modifying the /etc/fstab file, it is not possible for me to mount a CIFS remote share. Mounting CIFS remote shares requires the Ubuntu cifs-utils package to be installed on the host system - which is obviously missing on an unmodified XMC linux appliance.

What is the recommended way of mounting a remote share on a ubuntu-based XMC appliance?

Should I really upgrade and (post)install the cifs-utils apt packages on a productive XMC appliance? I'm not comfortable with that, because of the many unmet dependencies:

apt install cifs-utils
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt --fix-broken install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
cifs-utils : Depends: libtalloc2 (>= 2.0.4~git20101213) but it is not going to be installed
libpython2.7 : Depends: libpython2.7-stdlib (= 2.7.15~rc1-1ubuntu0.1) but 2.7.15-
4ubuntu4~18.04.2 is to be installed
nplan : Depends: netplan.io
udev : Depends: libudev1 (= 237-3ubuntu10.31) but 237-3ubuntu10.39 is to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

What I have also discovered is that on the linux appliance are two post-install bash scripts:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 24209 Apr 11 2020 .postinstall
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 17283 Apr 11 2020 .ubuntu-postinst.sh

One component of one of these scripts is the removal of netplan, which is a part of the host system since Ubuntu 18.04, but not used by the XMC linux appliance.

Maybe I missed something. What should I do? Does anyone have a working solution for this problem?

Thanks!

Re: Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center

Stefan_K_ — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 20:12:45 GMT

What exactly are you trying to achieve? What do you want to backup? Why do you want to do it manually? XMC has an implemented solution to backup its configuration.

Best regards
Stefan

Re: Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center

ABPKN — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 20:23:46 GMT

The objective is to mount a remote share on an Ubuntu-based XMC for ease of file offloading or backup purposes. In this case a schedule backup of the current database on a EMC Isilon.

Re: Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center

Stefan_K_ — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 20:28:45 GMT

This is an XY-Problem.

Why don’t you use the correct, existing tools for that?

Re: Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center

ABPKN — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 20:38:46 GMT

Thank you for your reply.
What would be the right way or tool?
In my understanding I have to set up a storage location (mounting point to a remote share) on the appliance before. After that I can define the Database Backup Location in the Administration panel under “Options > Database Backup > Backup File Location.

Re: Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center

Brian_Anderson1 — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 20:54:48 GMT

Here is a gtac article to setup a remote share:

https://extremeportal.force.com/ExtrArticleDetail?an=000082962&q=backup%20database%20on%20remote%20

Re: Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center

ABPKN — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 21:18:15 GMT

@Brian Anderson Thank you.
As already mentioned, the cifs-utils package is not present on the host system (unmodified XMC linux appliance 8.4.3.24). Should I really upgrade and (post)install the cifs-utils apt packages?

In my understanding this could break the productive XMC instance, because of the many unmet dependencies (netplan instead of ifupdown).

Re: Database Backup: How to securely mount a remote CIFS Share on Extreme Management Center

StephanH — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 01:04:12 GMT

Hello ABPKN,

as in the GTAC article mentioned it is normal that the packages are not present on your system.

Till 8.5.2.6 nothing changed here and I didn’t test it with Version 8.5.5.32.

But I always install the packets on different customer systems without any problems. Best way is update to the latest XMC version and install the cifs-utis with apt.

Create a backup beforehand, then you can restore the system in the worst case.