Using GNBD with Red Hat GFS
GNBD (Global Network Block Device) provides block-level storage access over an Ethernet
LAN. GNBD components run as a client in a GFS node and as a server in a GNBD server node.
A GNBD server node exports block-level storage from its local storage (either directly attached
storage or SAN storage) to a GFS node.
Table 1.1, “GNBD Software Subsystem Components”
summarizes the GNBD software
subsystems components.
Software Subsystem
Components
Description
GNBD
gnbd.ko
Kernel module that implements the
GNBD device driver on clients.
gnbd_export
Command to create, export and manage
GNBDs on a GNBD server.
gnbd_import
Command to import and manage GNBDs
on a GNBD client.
gnbd_serv
A server daemon that allows a node to
export local storage over the network.
Table 1.1. GNBD Software Subsystem Components
You can configure GNBD servers to work with device-mapper multipath. GNBD with
device-mapper multipath allows you to configure multiple GNBD server nodes to provide
redundant paths to the storage devices. The GNBD servers, in turn, present multiple storage
paths to GFS nodes via redundant GNBDs. When using GNBD with device-mapper multipath, if
a GNBD server node becomes unavailable, another GNBD server node can provide GFS nodes
with access to storage devices.
This document how to use GNBD with Red Hat GFS and consists of the following chapters:
•
Chapter 2, Considerations for Using GNBD with Device-Mapper Multipath
•
Chapter 3, GNBD Driver and Command Usage
•
Chapter 4, Running GFS on a GNBD Server Node
Chapter 1.
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