[Gluster-devel] Is it possible to turn an existing filesystem (with data) into a GlusterFS brick ?

[Saravanakumar Arumugam]

On 11/11/2016 06:03 PM, Sander Eikelenboom wrote:
> L.S.,
>
> I was wondering if it would be possible to turn an existing filesystem 
> with data
> (ext4 with files en dirs) into a GlusterFS brick ?
It is not possible, at least I am not aware about any such solution yet.
>
> I can't find much info about it except the following remark at [1] 
> which seems
> to indicate it is not possible yet:
>
>         Data import tool
>
>         Create a tool which will allow importing already existing data 
> in the brick
>         directories into the gluster volume.
>         This is most likely going to be a special rebalance process.
>
> So that would mean i would always have to:
> - first create an GlusterFS brick on an empty filesystem
> - after that copy all the data into the mounted GlusterFS brick
> - never ever copy something into the filesystem (or manipulate it 
> otherwise)
>   used as a GlusterFS brick directly (without going through a 
> GlusterFS client mount)
>
> because there is no checking / healing between GlusterFS's view on the 
> data and the data in the
> underlying brick filesystem ?
>
> Is this a correct view ?
>
you are right !
Once the data is copied into Gluster, it internally creates meta-data 
about data(file/dir).
Unless you copy it via Gluster mount point, it is NOT possible to create 
such meta-data.

Thanks,
Saravana