GFS versus OCFS2

[Alzhy]

For high bandwidth shared filesystems -- these solutions are undoudtedly better than NFS as it will be true ribre speed to the storage device.

Which one would be best for production use though? The filesystem will be for shared Oracle datapump filesystem with around 2 dozen servers (nodes).

OCFS2 seems to be pretty easy but is not officially a RedHat Supported package. GFS -- I have not tried yet -- is it difficult to set up?


TIA.

[Ivan Ferreira · Accepted solution]

>>> Which one would be best for production use though?

Both are good for production use. In our company we use both.

>>> OCFS2 seems to be pretty easy but is not officially a RedHat Supported package. GFS -- I have not tried yet -- is it difficult to set up?

OCFS2 is easy to setup. But probably if you will use only for database storage, I would go for ASM.

[Ivan Ferreira]

Also check this presentation:

http://www.redhat.com/f/pdf/summit/blikosar_340_beginnersguide.pdf

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

I happen to have used both at NDS Jerusalem.

OCFS2 was very easy to install, but some time later it developed a hanging issue. Also, it is released with kernel specific versions, so you can't update your system so easily. You have to plan to update the kernel AND OCFS2 at the same time.

Used it with an active-active Oracle RAC cluster.

GFS was the primary file system in the NDS Video Guard product. It was much easier to update the system and keep up with security fixes, and proved overall to be a more reliable product.

Both are strong and perform the same basic function. I like GFS a little better.

SEP

[Alzhy]

Any quick how to on GFS?

Our usual cluster filesystem is VCS.. (Veritas)... it is very cost prohbitive so we'er looking at Redhat's built ins... and OSS solutions.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

Both are technically clustered file systems.

Before install
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/csgfs/admin-guide/5.2.1/s1-ov-preconfig.html

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/csgfs/browse/rh-cs-en-3/ap-gfsgui.html

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/csgfs/pdf/rh-gfsico-en-6_0.pdf

General doc location.
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/csgfs/admin-guide/

SEP