Installing Core

Installing the SIOS Protection Suite Core Software

SIOS Protection Suite uses the Flexera InstallShield product to provide a standard installation interface. A license must be obtained and installed for each server in the cluster.

We recommend that you read the SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Release Notes before installing and configuring SIOS Protection Suite.

To install SIOS Protection Suite software, run the setup program delivered with the SIOS Protection Suite for Windows product. The InstallShield Wizard will first install LifeKeeper for Windows. Once the LifeKeeper installation is complete, SIOS DataKeeper for Windows will be installed. Follow the setup instructions on each screen. Some explanatory notes are included below.

LifeKeeper Installation Notes

• You must have administrative privileges to install the LifeKeeper software. While non-administrative users will not be prohibited from running the setup program, the installation will exit immediately due to lack of special permissions required during setup.

• Installing LifeKeeper on your shared storage is not supported. Each server should have its own copy installed on its local disk.

• The default LifeKeeper installation path is C:\LK. You may change this path, but due to some scripting issues, be sure to choose a path with NO EMBEDDED SPACES and containing eight characters or less. For instance, C:\Program Files\LK and C:\LifeKeeper are invalid choices that will result in application errors.

• Two Windows registry changes are made during the installation of LifeKeeper: DisableStrictNameChecking and DisableLoopbackCheck. Both of these changes are required to allow access to servers using an alias name.

Setup Type

Choose one of the following:

• Typical installs the LifeKeeper Core and all Core recovery kits (recommended). Note: DHCP Media Sense for TCP/IP will be disabled by default.

• Compact installs the LifeKeeper Core only (which includes the Volume Recovery Kit).

• Custom allows you to select from the list of LifeKeeper components to install: Core files (always required), IP Recovery Kit, DNS Recovery Kit, LAN Manager Recovery Kit, File Share Recovery Kit, Generic Application Recovery Kit and IIS Recovery Kit. The Custom option will ask the following questions:
  • “Disable DHCP Media Sense for TCP/IP?”
  • “Do you wish to start the LifeKeeper Services?” See Starting LifeKeeper Services below for details.

Firewall Change Prompt (Windows 2008 and later)

LifeKeeper cannot function properly if the firewall settings for the source and target machines are not configured correctly. During installation of LifeKeeper, you will be prompted to allow the installer to configure your firewall rules needed by LifeKeeper, as well as to configure other system settings that are required by LifeKeeper. If you choose to allow the installer to make these changes, you will not need to configure your firewall manually. Please refer to Troubleshooting for more information.

LifeKeeper requires the following ports / protocols / processes to be open or enabled:

TCP Ports: 81, 82, 1500, 3278, 3279

Process: %LKROOT%\jre1.8.0_101\bin\java.exe

Process: %LKROOT%\jre1.8.0_101\bin\jp2launcher.exe

Protocols: ICMP Echo

Starting LifeKeeper Services

If you choose the Custom installation option, you will be asked, “Do you wish to start the LifeKeeper Services?” In most cases you should answer Yes so that LifeKeeper will be started automatically when the system is booted. Answering No will cause LifeKeeper not to be started after installation, and it will set the Startup Type for the LifeKeeper services to Manual.

If you select No and you later wish to start the LifeKeeper services, you should do so using the Services tool in the Windows Control Panel. (You should start both LifeKeeper and LifeKeeper External Interfaces.) In addition, you can set the Startup Type to Automatic by right-clicking on each service and selecting Properties, then changing the Startup Type option to Automatic. This will tell LifeKeeper to always start at system boot time.

Question: In what situation would it make sense to answer No to starting the LifeKeeper services?

Answer: Choosing not to start the LifeKeeper services may be useful in a staging environment where you are not ready to configure your network addresses but you wish to install LifeKeeper and replicate it across a number of systems prior to final installation of the cluster.

Explanation: When LifeKeeper is started the FIRST time, the system’s network configuration information is written into the LifeKeeper Configuration Database (LCD). Changing your network configuration AFTER LifeKeeper is started requires deleting and re-creating your comm paths and resource hierarchies. Therefore, by choosing NOT to start the LifeKeeper services at install time, you can install LifeKeeper and associated recovery kits, then configure your network later.

DataKeeper Installation Notes

Once LifeKeeper installation is complete, the InstallShield Wizard will begin installing SIOS DataKeeper for Windows. ou will be prompted to select the DataKeeper features to install. A typical installation includes both features.

• DataKeeper Server Components

• DataKeeper User Interface

During installation of DataKeeper Server Components:

1. Configure firewall settings.

2. Select a DataKeeper Service log on account type.

• If Domain or Server account is selected, provide DataKeeper Service log on ID and Password .

3. Install licensing via the License Manager.

Reboot your server and begin using DataKeeper. See the DataKeeper Technical Documentation for further information on using DataKeeper.

The SIOS DataKeeper User Interface and Server Components Feature can be installed independently, and the installation can be modified later to include any feature that has not previously been installed.

Important: The SIOS DataKeeper User Interface feature and the target snapshot feature require Microsoft MMC 3.0 and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed. For Windows 2008 R2 and 2012, use “Server Manager” to enable the .NET Framework 3.5.1 features. If the SIOS Protection Suite install is attempted prior to installing these proper versions, an error will be received and the installer will be stopped. SIOS Protection Suite will need to be uninstalled and the SIOS Protection Suite install process will need to be restarted.

Exclusion list for Antivirus Software for LifeKeeper and DataKeeper for Windows

The following things should be excluded in your antivirus software for LifeKeeper and DataKeeper:

• For SPS C:\LK\* directory (or the folder LifeKeeper is installed in).

• For DataKeeper C:\Program Files (x86)\SIOS\DataKeeper\ directory (or the folder DataKeeper is installed in).

• The bitmap file location (by default on the c: drive but it may be relocated – C:\Program Files (x86)\SIOS\DataKeeper\Bitmaps).

These locations have all of the executables and sometimes the Antivirus Software can quarantine them, thus rendering LifeKeeper or DataKeeper inoperable.

The list of registry keys that LifeKeeper and DataKeeper use is located here.

AND

UpperFilters registry key located at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{71A27CDD-812A-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F}

The contents of the UpperFilters key should be “NCR_LKF ExtMirr” when using both LifeKeeper and DataKeeper.