topic Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage in Alfresco Archive

Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

patdelaney — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 19:00:48 GMT

I am new to Alfresco and I have been trolling the forums and web looking for a simple step by step guide on how to configure Alfresco to use a windows network mounted share for the file system repository. I am running a almost default install of Alfresco 4.2.c on a Linux VM for now. The current conf

Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

fcorti — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 19:58:36 GMT

Hi patdelaney,

To do this you have to mount the windows SAN File server on the linux machine.
Stop Alfresco.
After you should edit the alfresco-global.properties file, setting the 'alf_data' to the mount path.
Attention: if you have already started Alfresco on the Linux VM, move the "local" alf_data content to the mount path before starting alfresco again.
Start alfresco again.

Let us know. 😉

Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

patdelaney — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 23:49:56 GMT

Thanks for the feed back, I'm still having a minor issue. I followed your recommendation:
I mounted the windows box via fstab file entry /mnt/win/alf_data
I changed the entry in the properties file. (stop alfresco moved the content of the alf_data directory
restarted Alfresco
but it appears that the postges will not start … I suspect some sort of permissions issue? Does postgres need to access that file share location

Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

bopolissimus — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 01:13:04 GMT

yes, if you're using the alfresco bundle (alfresco-community-*.bin) installer and you told it that you wanted postgresql install (you're using the bundled postgresql, not postgresql elsewhere) then there will be a postgresql directory in your alf_data directory. when you start alfresco (even if alfresco fails to start, that's fine, you just want to) check what user postgres is running as. It's likely to be running as the postgres user. If it is, then you'll need to set ownership of the postgres directory (recursively) to the postgres user. or, if not postgres, then set ownership of the alf_data/postgresql directory to whomever it's running as.

I tend not to run postgres from the bundle. Instead I use either postgres from the distribution on localhost or a database server elsewhere on the network. If you have a database server somewhere, that might be an option.

Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

patdelaney — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 02:33:42 GMT

Well I think it is a permissions issue but I can't seem to change the permissions it Linus OS says I can/t. Here are the steps that got me to this place.
Created a share on a SAN device
mounted the san via fstab file entry:
\\col_san\Alfresco /mnt/win cifs rw,username=pdelaney,password=password 0 0
Changed the alfresco-global.properties file to poin to the new alf_data dir
/mnt/win/alf_data

copied the contents of the original location to the new location
ls -l of postgresql directory at original location owner
drwx——. 12 postgres root 4096 Jun 27 19:45 postgresql

New location
drwx-w—-. 12 nobody users 0 Jun 27 2013 postgresql

but I can't chown or chgrp the directory

chown: changing ownership of `/mnt/win/alf_data/postgresql': Permission denied
failed to change ownership of `/mnt/win/alf_data/postgresql' to postgres

Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

bisana — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 05:48:40 GMT

hi fcorti
Your advice is to mount Windows SAN file to linux machine, this is correct.
But the steps you mentioned, I am afraid is wrong.
He should use fstab or mount command to mount SAN file

Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

fcorti — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 06:15:00 GMT

Thank for the feedback but probably should be more clear for all if you tell us your solution/point of view.

We usually use that strategy to move the repository or map the alf_data on a different file system in several installations and probably my explanation is only a suggestion and a todo list (thank for the integration from bopolissimissus for the bundle installation, we used rarely).

Thank you in advance for giving us your positive feedback.

Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

patdelaney — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:23:39 GMT

thanks I think for now I have resolved this problem.
Thanks again for all your help

Re: Alfresco 4.2.c on Linux using a SAN for storage

hombrezuelo — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 21:56:48 GMT

Hi patdelaney I´m getting the same problem like you, can you tell me how do you made the change the ownership? I´m running alfresco over Centos 6.4 I´ve try change it but i couldn´t do it.

Thanks in advance.