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

[ABPKN]

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!

[StephanH]

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.

[ABPKN]

@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).

[Brian_Anderson1]

Here is a gtac article to setup a remote share:

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

[ABPKN]

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.