Serviceguard nodes that mounts NAS storage

[Srinikalyan]

Hi,
Our plan is to go for the two node(BL870c) active-passive Serviceguard cluster. It uses XP24K for the database files and the NetApp FAS6070c for the flat files storage. I believe NetApp is the NAS storage hence no need to create cluster aware volume groups and mountpoints in the BL870c HP-UX Servers. Cluster nodes can connect only through NFS mounts or CIFS.
My question is
Is the NAS Server FAS6070c exports the filesystem to the Serviceguard package IP address for the failover to function properly in the cluster?

Thanks,
Srini

[Berd]

Srini,

By flat files do you mean static files. If so can you not present them on seperate disk to both servers. That way they will not make part of you ServiceGuard package ?

Regards,
Berd

[Michael Steele_2]

Hi

I've seen problems when using the failover ip in NFS and have been forced to use the node ip's. It's not a big deal but still a manual procedure.

There's no reason for you not to try though and keep the 2nd procedure as a work around back up.

You will be called / paged in the middle of the night if there's a failover. You will have to make a midnight investigation and submit a early morning report. You will have to sanity check the box and applications anyway. So the extra few minutes of manual switching the ips will probably never be a big deal.

[Srinikalyan]

I meant flat files as non-database files.
I just think of NAS storage Server as the NFS Server where they export the file systems to the NFS clients by using the Serviceguard package relocatable IP address. By doing so, the active node(NFS client) will mount the exported file system. In case of failover, the passive node will mount the filesystems exported by the NAS Server. It's possible because NAS Server using relocatable address?
1. Is anyone foresee any issues by doing this?
2. Will the NAS server use relocatable IP Address for the NFS export?

Thanks,
Srini

[Michael Steele_2]

reread my first answer

[Armin Kunaschik · Accepted solution]

Exporting to the package IP will not work. Outgoing NFS connections will go through the node address, not the package alias!

Never ever mount/umount remote NFS filesystems inside a serviceguard environment in the cluster control script!

Just one potential issue: If you have trouble with the NIC, the failover would potentially hang because of busy or stale NFS mounts.

If you can not avoid using NFS, then statically mount all filesystems to all cluster nodes.
Also make sure that the NFS source (your FAS 6070c) is no single point of failure! It has to be a cluster with the same redundant network connection as your serviceguard cluster. Using a single NAS server does not make any sense here.

My 2 cents,
Armin

[Srinikalyan]

Thanks.