As mentioned previously, you should combine machine roles for the machines in your cell and domains. For example, you may wish to set up a database server machine to house both the FLDB and the Backup Database. A machine that houses these databases needs to be stored in a secure location so that unauthorized users cannot access and possibly damage fileset data or the databases.
In any cell, there is only one version of the FLDB and one version of the Backup Database, even though these databases can be replicated at other sites. The initial copies of these databases are created when the Fileset Location and Backup Servers are first started in the cell. They are automatically replicated to other machines as additional instances of their respective server processes are started on those machines. When configuring a new domain in an existing cell, do not attempt to create a new FLDB or Backup Database for the domain; configure additional instances of the existing database as necessary.
Several directories contain files related to DFS server processes. The directories in the following list store files on a server machine's local disk. Files stored on the local disk are generally required for DFS to start without accessing the global namespace. (See your vendor's documentation for information about the files that reside on the local disk of a server machine.)
· The dcelocal/bin directory contains DFS binaries that are appropriate for the machine's CPU/OS type. The binary files are for server processes, command suites, and other processes and programs.
· The dcelocal/var/dfs directory houses administrative lists for server processes; for example, admin.bos and admin.ft. It also contains configuration files that are used by the BOS Server and the dfsexport command. If the machine is running the Fileset Location Server, this directory also contains the FLDB.
· The dcelocal/var/dfs/adm directory stores log files generated by server processes. These files detail events that occur during the operation of server processes. Server processes do not use these log files to reconstruct failed operations because only completed events are recorded in them. However, because the information in the files is in human-readable format, examination of these files is the first step in the troubleshooting procedure. They can help you evaluate process failures and related problems.
The dcelocal/var/dfs/adm directory also contains the core image file that is generated if a process being monitored by the BOS Server crashes. The BOS Server adds an extension to the standard core name to indicate which process generated the file; for example, core.flserver. However, if two processes abort at exactly the same time, the BOS Server may not be able to assign the correct extension to the core file.
In addition, the dceshared/bin directory also stores all of the binary files that are housed in the dcelocal/bin directory. Current versions of the files are always available from dceshared/bin for installation on the local disk of a server machine. The directory also contains the binary files for a number of programs that are not integral to starting DFS, such as the scout program and a number of programs related to the DFS Backup System.