[Gluster-users] Re :Performance of GlusterFs and NFS

[Keith Freedman]

>we are aiming at solving the problems of Millions/Billions of small 
>files inside a single directory, Though, the files are not saved as 
>files inside each directory, they will be saved inside a db file .We 
>are using MySQL . How to achive this for testing perpose? As know I 
>don't have enough skill to do same . Please give me some guide line 
>to achive this kind of set up . I am not able to get how to export 
>db file over GlusterFS. what is your Idea?

well, you have a couple options here.. one is to use the BDB 
translator and have gluster manage the small files inside a berkeley 
database container instead of MySQL.

If you want to use MySQL (because you have some other application 
that is going to be manageing these files), and you want to present 
those files as a filesystem, then you can use MySQLfs to "mount" the 
datbase as a filesystem, then use that filesystem as a posix brick 
within gluster.

this will add 2 levels of indirection, and you're going through fuse 
twice, so any fuse bottlenecks will be multiplied, but it will 
technically solve your problem.

how to set up MySQLfs: http://www.linux.com/feature/127055

ideally, if you dont really need MySQL to store these things, you're 
much better using glusters BDB translator for those particular files.

>As for smaller block sizes being a performance issue, I think mostly 
>fuse is the problem with small block sizes.
>I think 4K is what fuse' block size is?   SO I'm thinking that 
>should be ok for testing.
>
>I also believe gluster 2.0 is much faster with smaller files than 
>1.3, so you should get better results with 2.0
>
>I saw last week one thread about 2.0 .But I am not able to 
>find  where I have to download 2.0? Please give me the download URL of 2.0 .

1.4rc7 became 2.0rc1 so I think you're ok.

Keith