[Gluster-devel] gluster questions

[Matt Paine]

Hi Jon


> I'm thinking about implementing gluster as a possible way of home  
> directory server redundancy(using the afr translator), but I have a  few 
> questions that I can't seem to find the answer to:
> 
> -Does installing gluster require a total format of the "bricks" or  data 
> volumes involved?  Can I just install it over the current system  and 
> keep data intact? From what I read it just works over the current  
> filesystem (ext3, xfs, etc)?

No. A gluster "brick" is simply a directory that is exported as a 
filesystem (very similar to NFS). The underlying filesystem can be 
whatever you want (as long as its readable from the kernel).


> -We currently have a single node w/fibre channel raid (partitioned  into 
> 7 luns for different user groups) for our home directories.  All  
> exported using NFS.  We are getting in a new server and raid unit,  
> which will become the primary server once it is setup.  Can I setup  the 
> new server and raid as a single gluster node, get the data copied  over 
> (via rsync or something similar), move clients over to the new  machine, 
> then resetup the old server/raid combo and add it into the  gluster 
> system?  Or is there a better way to do this?

Sounds like a perfectly fine way to do it.


> -Concerning NFS and tied into the above question: we use it for it's  
> compatibility with Mac, Linux and Solaris workstations and has worked  
> fairly well.  We'd like to stick with it.  Would that require running  a 
> fuse/gluster client on one of the above nodes and re-exporting it as  
> NFS?  That is the way I seem to understand from my searches on the  
> mailing lists.    Or can you directly export a gluster brick via nfs?   
> And if running the fuse/gluster client on one of the server nodes w/  
> exported NFS is necessary, is this a safe way to do things?

There were problems a while ago about exporting glusterfs volumes as NFS 
exports, but I believe these problems have now been sorted out (if you 
use the gluster patched fuse client). I am unable to tell you if Mac and 
Solaris works with glusterfs exports, but all I can sugest there is to 
download the source and give it a crack :) Or someone else might be able 
to jump in with a better answer.


Good luck :)



Matt.