Serviceguard with GFS (lock protocol issue)

[Eric van Dijken]

I am trying to get GFS working with SG.

Now i am new to ServiceGuard, so please be gentle.

When trying to create a new gfs filesystem, it asks for a locking protocol. But as i didn't install the RedHat Cluster Suite, i can't think of one to select. Anyone any ideas?

A link to a document describing this joining of GFS with HP ServiceGuard would also be welcome, ofcourse.

Regards, Eric.

[melvyn burnard]

Try looking at this link, gives you a White Paper and modified templates:
http://h20293.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=gfs_coexist

Also take a look here:
http://www.redhat.com/en_us/USA/home/solutions/gfs/

[Eric van Dijken]

*grins*

Yes, thats as far as i got. Nice (and insightfull) documents. But no cookbook information. A real nice "how-to combine GFS with HP/Serviceguard" would be nice (better).

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom Eric,

I believe HP has made a committment to support this, but I don't believe the document exists in a place where I can find it.

We're studying GFS here and have been assured that HP-UX support for direct GFS mount is not likely, but have heard little about Serviceguard.

If you can get this working at all, it might be easier with a quorum server. It should however still be possible with a cluster lock configuration.

SEP

[Steven E. Protter]

Duh,

docs:
http://h18026.www1.hp.com/solutions/enterprise/highavailability/linux/serviceguard/rhgfs.html

http://www.redhat.com/f/pdf/gfs/INS_91569US_0805.pdf

http://www.redhat.com.cn/software/rha/gfs/

Article that may have an example or cookbook:
http://www.linux-magazin.ro/index_stire?id_stire=29

http://h71028.www7.hp.com/ERC/downloads/4AA0-1142ENW.pdf

Bad mouse. Very bad mouse.

SEP

[Eric van Dijken]

Just one step back, i am not trying to get it to work on HP-UX. Not even with a HP-UX cluster, running HP/SG.

Just a normal Linux (RHES4) installation, with RedHat GFS. In combination with HP Serviceguard.

Just don't understand how i can get GFS working, without a lock manager running. As far as i know only the RedHat Cluster Suite has a lock manager. But i am trying not to install that product, this time.

[melvyn burnard · Accepted solution]

Well I have read the White Papaer supplied and it seem sok to me.
One thing to bear in mind is that the RedHat GFS does require the RH Clustering to be installed and used for the GFS.
You need to consult the RH documentation on doing this.
All that we (HP) are doing is supporting and supplying modified package script files to allow RH clustering and GFS to be used concurrently, and use the GFS inside an SG package.

[Steven E. Protter]

Awesome Melvyn,

I mentioned HP-UX only because I've gotten the question internally here from eager customers that want clustering. "Can my HP-UX server use gfs_mount?" My answer is I haven't found any plans in that area.

Sorry for the confustion I added.

Pause for brain reboot.

SEP

[Eric van Dijken]

@Steven
Yes, these white papers / cover stories tell you why i would want to do this trick.

@melvyn
Aha, so i can't replace the RedHat Cluster Suite with HP/Serviceguard. To get the GFS running, i need the RedHat Cluster Suite. For the extra add-on, i would need to install the HP/SG software also (So RedHat GFS, RedHat ClusterSuite and HP/Serviceguard need to be installed)

Not really what i wanted, but it makes sense. Maybe thats why RedHat GFS comes together with the RedHat Cluster Suite software, nowdays... can't be run without it)

Thank you all :)

[Steven E. Protter]

Note:

Red Hat clustering must be installed to use GFS. It does not need to be configured to create gfs_mount filesystems that can be mounted by other Red Hat hosts with gfs_mount (part of gfs) installed.

Sounds interesting.

SEP

[melvyn burnard]

Wel yes, this is exactly the issue.
The two clustering methods are resident side by side and not meant to replace each other, you use the RH Clustering to create the gfs bits, then combine these into an SG package.

[Serviceguard for Linux]

I would have responded earlier but my daily updates aren't coming for some reason :(

The white paper was written for GFS 6.0 and RH3. The testing for 6.1 has just about completed but the white paper update will be a little while (a few weeks because of other work that is in the queue). I understand now that the RH3/GFS6.0 is not very clear.

On the "replacement" - you don't have to replace RHCS with Serviceguard (as Melvyn pointed out). This whitepaper focuses on the co-existance. One way to think about this is to get GFS running - and the setup will install many RH Cluster Suite components. During the setup pay attention to the few configuration details that are covered in teh whitepaper. Once that is working you install Serviceguard and use Serviceguard for protecting (and controlling failover) of packages.

The lock manager that is being referred to should be the GFS Lock manager. It controls the file locking across the file system. As I remember (without doing any research right now) there is the DLM (new with 6.1) and the GLM. When the 6.1 whitepaper is completed, both should be supported.

Sorry for the hurried response. If this doesn't cover it, let me know & I will check a few other things.