FedFsInstallationGuide0.9

From Linux NFS

Revision as of 22:06, 19 October 2012

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-0.9 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.

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.

• Linux NFS client that supports NFSv4 (any recent Linux distribution)
  • Setting up client-side NFSv4 referral support
• FedFS automounter 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. Eventually this will all be set up by default. For now, the following modifications are required:

• Linux NFS server that supports NFSv4 or later (any recent Linux distribution)
  • 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.

• Define a domain root directory on a FedFS-enabled NFS server, then export it
  • Setting up a FedFS domain root server
• Define a DNS SRV record that points to that export
  • Setting up a FedFS DNS SRV record
• Create NFS referrals in the domain root directory to other NFS servers that participate in this domain
  • 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

• An installed and configured LDAP server (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

• Installed NSDB administration tools
  • Setting up NSDB connection parameters
  • Setting up NSDB administrative tools
  • Distributing x.509 certificates for your NSDBs

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.

• Installed nsdbparams program on file servers and administrative clients that participate in your FedFS domain
  • 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-0.9, running the administrative daemon is discouraged on open networks, since the daemon currently does not support any form of security.

• Installed FedFS administrative daemon
  • Setting up the rpc.fedfsd daemon