Service Guard Quorum Server. Can it be a workstation?

[Steven E. Protter]

Question in Service Guard Class has us all stumped. Though SG can't be done with workstations what about the quorum server?

Must it be a server or can it be a workstation.

A quorum server handles tie breaking mechanisms when heartbeat is lost.

SEP

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi SEP,

Well although functionally it could - I believe HP may not support it. They seem to shy away from workstations for all things MC/SG, IMO.

Rgds,
Jeff

[Robert Gamble]

When installing MC/SG on the workstation, it will fail because it is not an HP9000/800 series machine, as that is a prerequisite. I tried once a long time ago.

hth!

[Steven E. Protter]

Thank You Jeff,

Looking for a doc or...

I tried it and it works.
I tried it and it doesn'nt.

SEP

[A. Clay Stephenson · Accepted solution]

I don't have an HP-UX workstation handy to load the QS on but I know that a Linux workstation with QS A.02.00 will serve an HP-UX MC/SG Cluster (or a Linux MC/SG Cluster). My best guess is that it will work since the QS is outside the cluster itself.

So, (admittedly cheating, but it ain't my fault you didn't precisely frame your question) a Linux workstation will definitely work; an HP-UX workstation will probably work.

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi (again) SEP,

Attached are the QS_A02.00 release notes. I note *no* system type requirements other than HP 9000. I also find no statements in their about whether HP supports QS on 700 series systems. So I'd have to believe it would work *and* be supported.
Do note however that they *do* recommend the QS be on the same subnet as those clusters being monitored & and I don't know about your networks, but here we run our workstations on diff subnets than our servers.

HTH,
Jeff (who should quit making assumptions)

[Steven E. Protter]

Doc question is closed.

Another bunny is available to anyone that is actually doing it on a workstation. Every have to call the response center? Did they help.

Good Work esteemed colleagues.

SEP

[melvyn burnard]

Actually the Release Notes do say:

The HP-UX Quorum Server runs on an HP 9000 and on Integrity servers. The Linux version runs on Compaq Proliant servers and on HP Net Servers, if the operating system is supported by HP for net servers.


So it is for servers. not workstations.
However, I cannot see any real reason why, and will try to check this up later this week.

[Bernhard Mueller]

SEP,

I am not running Quorum Server on a workstation.

But I do not see what difference it would make. It is just a daemon process which is spawned by init to which the ServiceGuard nodes have to be able to connect to. (so more likely you could have a network issue)

You do not need any part of MC/SG on the quorum server.

Like Clay said you could have a Linux box as a quorum server for HP MC/SG cluster; I did the opposite, i.e. using a K200 as a quorum server for a MC/SG Cluster on Linux machines. It works.

Regards,
Bernhard

[Steven E. Protter]

Now I am thoroghly confused.

We don't have a workstation to test on here in Downers Grove.

Someone want to try installing the quorum server peice alone, not the full SG on a workstation.

A bunny for a test.

SEP

[Jeff Schussele]

Well, I had been waiting for Melvyn or Stephen to chime in on the wording in the Release Notes....

So I checked the INDEX file in my QuorumServer A.02.00.00 package & found that

architecture HP-UX_B.11.00_32/64
machine_type *
os_release ?.11.*

were specified. Which means it *can* be loaded on any HP-UX 11.* system that is 32/64 capable.
That may rule out a few 32-bit only systems I think. But I wouldn't want to run it on that old a system anyway.

SEP - I *could* load it on a W/S, *but* I wouldn't be able to modify any of my clusters to test it properly. Right now we use Ks & Ls as our QS systems.
But I really see no reason why you couldn't do this. As I stated earlier the only thing in question in my mind is "official" HP support for it.

Rgds,
Jeff

[Steven E. Protter]

I am willing to ask the support center if its supported.

If someone tried the quorum server only installation and posted the error/success message, I'd think the question, "can it be done?" would be sufficiently answered.

A test would be nice, but based on A. Clay's post if it installs, it will probably work.

An opportunity for a two part 2-bunny point score. Sorta like a 3 point shot in basketball.

Trivia: What itrc member(s) went to the only college that won in the same year (2004)ncaa womens and mens basketball championships?

Answer: You are reading one. Anyother UCONN grads? Go Huskies.

Trivial fact: Its a tough school academically, even on the hoop players.

SEP

[Steve Shoecraft]

THIS should interest you all:
root@hp1 % cmviewcl -v

CLUSTER STATUS
hp up

NODE STATUS STATE
hp1 up running

Quorum_Server_Status:
NAME STATUS STATE
gate up running

Network_Parameters:
INTERFACE STATUS PATH NAME
PRIMARY up 10/0/12/0 lan0

Serial_Heartbeat:
DEVICE_FILE_NAME STATUS CONNECTED_TO
/dev/tty1p0 up hp2 /dev/tty1p0

NODE STATUS STATE
hp2 up running

Quorum_Server_Status:
NAME STATUS STATE
gate up running

Network_Parameters:
INTERFACE STATUS PATH NAME
PRIMARY up 10/0/12/0 lan0

Serial_Heartbeat:
DEVICE_FILE_NAME STATUS CONNECTED_TO
/dev/tty1p0 up hp1 /dev/tty1p0

root@hp1 % model
9000/785/C3000

root@hp2 % model
9000/785/C3000

root@gate % uname -a
FreeBSD gate.home.net 5.2-CURRENT FreeBSD 5.2-CURRENT #2: Sat May 1 09:50:33 CDT 2004 root@gate.home.net:/usr/src/sys/i386/compile/GATE i386

No packages are configured (yet), I am putting together the apache, samba, and oracle scripts now.

Gate is my firewall/dns/nis/nfs/nat box (a P166 overclocked to 210). It's running the quorum server nicely using the Linux emulation kernel module and some select libraries.

On a side note, I also have the omniback DP 5.1 disk agent installed on FreeBSD as well. I had to selectively pull the libs I needed from the linux compat layer so omni would see the 'true' filesystem...

If you want more implementation details (of either the clustering of the workstations or the omniback on bsd stuff), lemme know.

- Steve

[Carsten Krege]

Hi folks,

I agree that this is not very well documented.
However, Quorum Server (QS) is supported on any machine (HPUX or Linux) that is supported with Serviceguard. A QS can provide quorum services for HPUX and Linux SG clusters, no matter if the QS itself is running on HPUX or Linux.

It's pretty likely that QS runs on any HPUX box or Linux box, but it has only been tested on servers that are supported with Serviceguard.

Carsten