Data Store : 2 Easy questions

[LloydGill]

Hello,

I have a small farm of three servers. I thought I had configured to use a SQL data store, but now I am not so sure (no ODBC connection set up for eg). How do I find out for definate what I am using as a data store?

Plus: If I have a SQL datastore, and it fails for whatever reason, what happens? Does the farm still operate?

Thanks in advance.

Lloyd.

 

[pauljex]

Hi LloydGill

You could check on each of the server for a file called mf20.mdb, this is the MS Access database file that is used to store all the data store information. This file will only be on one of the servers, usually the first one you installed Citrix onto. It will be located in the program files\ (then do a search).

If a server is unable to locate the data store for what ever reason the data collector takes over and serves the farm for up to 48 hours.

Hope this helps.

Paulj

 

[ascotta]

I think you have 96 hours now to make your data store live again.

[blue]Arguably the best cat skinner around ! [/blue]

Cheers
Scott

 

[MikeBatters]

Ascotta,

Go to the following Registry Key and it will tell you what sort of Data Store you are running:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\IMA

Look at the following keys:

DatabaseDriver - If it equals ImaSql.DLL then you are using the SQL Server Database.

DataSourceName - It will give you the full path to the ODBC File DSN it is using.

You will need to check this on each server to be sure they are all using the same Datasource.

Hope it helps - Let me know.

 

[LloydGill]

As usual, everyone has come up trumps!

Thanks alot, folks.

Lloyd

 

[LloydGill]

TO UPDATE:

I was using a SQL datastore after all, which I was glad about. The problem I had was that I was looking in the ODBC connections under control panel and not seeing a DSN refering to the SQL datastore. Hence the confusion.

Now the fun starts - I want to move the datastore to another SQL server!!!

 

[MikeBatters]

Lloyd,

I am not 100% if it was a question or statement so i thought i would drop a quick answer in just in case.

That a fairly easy one. Start by setting up file DSNs on the servers in the same folder as the existing file DSNs, but pointing at the new server with pre-created DB.

Then on the first server use DSMAINT MIGRATE to migrate the database from one SQL Server to the other.

Then on the other servers do a DSMAINT CONFIG to switch the other servers over to the new datasource.

A quick restart of the IMAService and all is done.

Hope it helps (if you actually wanted help that is).

Please ignore me if you weren't asking.

 

[LloydGill]

Mike,

you were right : it was a question dressed up as a statement! I feel cheeky asking all these questions. However, your answer is very much appreciated. I have looked into this and your way seems to be the safest and best way. The Citrix doc CTX677542 seems a less safe way to perform this operation??

I'm going to have a crack at this next week. Is there any good documentation on the DSMAINT commands?

Also, is the best way to set up a DSN to use the ODBC connection wizard within contral panel?

Thanks for all your help.

Lloyd

 

[MikeBatters]

Lloyd,

Use DSMAINT /? and DSMAINT CONFIG /? for the command syntax and yes set up the File DSN using the ODBC COntrol Panel Applet.

As a matter of practice i tend to put the file DSN in

C:\Program Files\Citrix\Independent Management Architecture

Hope it goes well.

 

[DisembodiedVoice]

Do you have to create a new datasource and run the dsmaint command on it? Can't you just modify the old datasource to point to the new SQL server? that would seem the simplest to me

 

[MikeBatters]

Dis,

Although you could modify the existing data source i would advise thed creation of a new one and stepping through the proper process so that a roll back in case of f%&k up is also a logical process as well.

Just one of those things at i would always do out of habit.......just to be sure.

 

[DisembodiedVoice]

Well I migrated 4 of my 5 Citrix servers the published steps, and it seemed to worked OK after I got the database permissions fixed, So I tried the 5th one by just modifying the DSN and it seems to have worked. I restarted teh IMA service afterwards though just to be sure. I will post again if my server blows up from my experiment.

 

[MikeBatters]

Its always good to try these things.

I am sure it will be fine and i hope there isno bang

 

[PartlyDave]

I need to do the same thing, move the Access data store database from one server to another, then decommission the old server.

How can I tell what username and password were used for the database security, assuming it wasn't username=citrix & password=citrix?

 

[ascotta]

Well you should be able to sus the username but the password you will have documented right ?

[blue]Arguably the best cat skinner around ! [/blue]

Cheers
Scott

 

[MikeBatters]

If this the default access DB created during the install process it will be citrix/citrix.

You can test it by creating a datasource to point to the access DB using that username & password.

Have you got any chance of moving this to an SQL Server - all works much better that way.