[OpenAFS] Re: redundant home directory volumes

[J. Maynard Gelinas]

   OK. I've tried point b) and I just want to note that it won't work.
While it is possible to force a RW mount of a volume with RO replications,
it doesn't appear possilbe to make vos rename (or any other vos command)
change a RO volume into a RW volume.

   I've chosen point a) as the solution. While it doesn't give us
redundant fail over, at least we'll be able to perform a local restore
operation from a file to an AFS fileserver. We'll be dumping to tapes as
well.

   Any insight on that "administrative hack" mentioned in Managing AFS is
still of interest.

Cheers,
--Maynard

On Tue, 25 Jun 2002, J. Maynard Gelinas wrote:

>
>   Hi folks,
>
>   I've got a question about implementing some redundancy among home
> directories. Suppose I have a small WAN configuration with file / database
> servers local to each switch and LAN community. Even given a RAID array on
> each file server, systems and RAID arrays do crash. So, what is the best
> method for creating some volume redundancy across the cell for dynamic RW
> volumes?  Should I:
>
>   a) Make duplicate volume group backups, one to tape to archive and one
> to live disk so any/all volumes on a failed server could be restored ASAP?
>
>   b) Create RO volumes using vos addsite of each home directory and force
> a RW mount in order to make certain clients prefer the RW path to a
> homedir volume? If so, in the event of a server failure can I simply then
> vos rename the RO volume to turn it into a RW and then remount it as the
> user's homedir?
>
>   I read some mention of an 'administrative hack' for multiple redundant
> RW volumes in Richard Cambpell's 'Managing AFS'(pg. 115, ch. 4, section:
> replication), but it didn't go into specifics.
>
> Thanks!
> --Maynard
>
>