[Gluster-devel] gluster questions

[Jonathan Fine]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for answering my questions.  Now if you'll indulge me, I have  
one more for you(or anyone else that may be able to answer this):   
Regarding the scenario of starting with a single glusterfs node and  
then adding a second node later on:  If I do something like AFR, how  
does the system know which way to sync?  How can I be sure I will end  
with my data mirrored and not deleted?

So far, glusterfs sounds like the way to go..


thanks,


Jon



On Feb 4, 2008, at 5:31 PM, Matt Paine wrote:

> 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.
>
>
>
>
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************************************************
Jonathan Fine
fine at astro.psu.edu
814-863-4465

Sys Admin/IT Manager
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Eberly College of Science
Pennsylvania State University