Red Hat GFS 5.2.1 -, Administrator'S Manual

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Chapter 1. GFS Overview 3
1.2.2. Performance, Scalability, Moderate Price
Multiple Linux client applications on a LAN can share the same SAN-based data as shown in Figure
1-2. SAN block storage is presented to network clients as block storage devices by GNBD servers.
From the perspective of a client application, storage is accessed as if it were directly attached to the
server in which the application is running. Stored data is actually on the SAN. Storage devices and data
can be equally shared by network client applications. File locking and sharing functions are handled
by GFS for each network client.
Note
Clients implementing ext2 and ext3 file systems can be configured to access their own dedicated
slice of SAN storage.
GFS with VersaPlex (implemented with GNBD, as shown in Figure 1-2) and a SAN provide fully
automatic application and device failover with failover software and redundant devices.
LAN
Clients
GNBD
servers
SAN
Fabric
GFS
Applications
Shared Files
Figure 1-2. GFS and GNBD with a SAN