FedFsInstallationGuide0.8

From Linux NFS

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Revision as of 23:23, 19 October 2012

Contents 1 Project: fedfs-utils 2 Introduction 3 Building fedfs-utils 0.8 3.1 Pre-packaged install 3.2 Build from scratch 4 Clients accessing an existing FedFS domain 4.1 What you need for a minimal FedFS file-access client 5 Setting up a simple FedFS domain 5.1 What you need for a minimal FedFS file-access server 5.2 What you need to define a FedFS domain 6 Setting up a complete FedFS domain 6.1 What you need for a minimal FedFS NSDB 6.2 What you need to administer your NSDB 6.3 What you need to allow file servers to access the NSDB 6.4 What you need to administer junctions and NSDB connection parameters remotely

Project: fedfs-utils

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Introduction

This series of articles will help you prepare for and set up a working FedFS domain using Linux and the fedfs-utils-0.8 package. fedfs-utils allows you to manage a FedFS domain, a single file namespace that consists of many exports, each residing on separate fileservers.

A host can play one or more of these roles in a FedFS domain:

File-access client

This is a network file system client that communicates with fileservers using a standard file-access protocol (such as NFSv4).

Fileserver

This is a server that stores data or refers file-access clients to other file-access servers.

Namespace Database (NSDB)

An NSDB node stores information about the location of filesets stored on file-access servers in a FedFS domain. LDAP is used to access and manage this information. An NSDB is optional. If an NSDB is employed, an administrative entity that has write access to FedFS records on the NSDB is required to create, modify and delete the entries that describe filesets residing in the FedFS domain.

A DNS SRV record refers file-access clients to the top-most directory in a FedFS domain, which is stored in a special export on a file server.

Building fedfs-utils 0.8

If you are running Fedora 18, you can install a packaged version of fedfs-utils-0.8. On other distributions, build fedfs-utils from scratch.

Pre-packaged install

fedfs-utils is split into several packages so you don't have to install all fedfs-utils components on every host. But for convenience, you can install everything with this command:

# yum install fedfs-utils

Build from scratch

Unpack the fedfs-utils-0.8 tarball somewhere convenient. Use the typical autotools-style build commands to make it. For example:

$ cd fedfs-utils-0.8
$ ./configure
$ make

There is one special option: on 64-bit targets, such as x86_64, specify "--libdir=/usr/lib64" on the configure command so the libnfsjunct.a plug-in is installed in the correct directory.

If the build worked, as root:

# cd fedfs-utils-0.8 ; make install

Clients accessing an existing FedFS domain

If the storage servers in your environment already support a FedFS domain, it's easy to allow your Linux NFS client(s) to participate in the domain.

What you need for a minimal FedFS file-access client

If an NFSv4 client is to use Globally Useful Names (pathnames that appear the same on all FedFS clients), some additional set up is required. Here are the administrative steps that configure your Linux NFS client to participate in a FedFS domain.

• Setting up client-side NFSv4 referral support
• Setting up the FedFS automounter map

Setting up a simple FedFS domain

A "simple" FedFS domain does not use a separate LDAP server to keep track of fileset locations. Only NFS basic junctions (which store fileset locations directly on file servers) are used.

What you need for a minimal FedFS file-access server

Any NFSv4 server can participate in a FedFS domain. However, an NFS server which will contain junctions must support new-style NFS referrals. The following modifications are required:

• Setting up junction resolution support on your Linux NFS server

What you need to define a FedFS domain

Once you have prepared your NFS clients and servers, these steps create the FedFS name space and allow it to be discovered by FedFS-enabled clients.

• Setting up a FedFS domain root server
• Setting up a FedFS DNS SRV record
• Managing junctions with the nfsref command

Setting up a complete FedFS domain

A "complete" FedFS domain stores fileset location information in an LDAP server known as the domain's Namespace Database (or NSDB). Both NFS basic junctions and FedFS junctions can be used in this type of domain. All the items in the "simple" FedFS domain set up above, and:

What you need for a minimal FedFS NSDB

To install and configured an LDAP server for use as an NSDB, choose one below:

• Setting up an OpenLDAP server for use as an NSDB
• Setting up a 389-ds server for use as an NSDB

What you need to administer your NSDB

NSDB administration tools must be installed and configured on at least one host.

• Setting up NSDB connection parameters
• Setting up NSDB administrative tools

What you need to allow file servers to access the NSDB

Along with the modified mountd and junction resolution library you installed above, fileservers that contain FedFS junctions also need to know how to contact their domain's NSDB.

• Setting up NSDB connection parameters

What you need to administer junctions and NSDB connection parameters remotely

FedFS specifies an administrative network protocol that allows domain administrators to manage FedFS junctions and NSDB connection parameters remotely. Installing this daemon is optional. For fedfs-utils-0.8, running the administrative daemon is discouraged on open networks, since the daemon currently does not support any form of security.

• Setting up the rpc.fedfsd daemon