[Gluster-devel] using GlusterFS to build an NFSv4.1 pNFS server

[Rick Macklem]

Hi,

Btw, I do most of the FreeBSD NFSv4 work.
I am interested in trying to use GlusterFS
to build a FreeBSD NFSv4.1 pNFS server.
My hope is that, by directing the NFSv4.1 client
to the host where the file resides, the client will
be able to do I/O on it efficiently via the NFSv3
server. (The new layout type called flex files allows
an NFSv3 server to be a storage/data server for pNFS.)

To do this, I need to be able to "poke" the
glusterfs server and get the following information:
- The NFSv3 file handle and the IP address for
  the host(s) the file lives on.
  --> Using this, I am planning on creating a layout
      that tells the NFSv4.1 client to use NFSv3 to
      do I/O on the file. (What NFSv4.1 calls a storage
      server, although some RFCs might call it a data
      server.)
- I hope to use the fuse interface for the NFSv4.1 metadata
  server.

If anyone can point me to the area in the GlusterFS sources
that I should look at to do this and/or suggest a machanism
for getting the above information out of the GlusterFS server,
please let me know.

Also, any comments w.r.t. the above plan are welcome.

Thanks in advance for any information, rick
ps: I haven't written any code yet, but I think the above
    might be feasible.