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LinuxWorldExpo SanFrancisco 2005 Hands-on Workshop

We're currently putting together a hands-on workshop for LinuxWorldExpo SF 2005.

We've titled the workshop Linux-HA Release 2 - Hands-On Learning Workshop

Description of Hands-On Workshop

In this workshop, participants will set up and configure their own Linux-HA high-availability cluster. This will use the new Release 2 version of the Open Source Linux-HA (aka "heartbeat") software. After 15 attendees, participants will work together in pairs to create their HA clusters.

Release 2 of Linux-HA allows for the creation of highly available services spread across a cluster of several machines with no single point of failure. These services and the servers they run on are monitored. If a services should fail to operate correctly, or a server should fail, the services will be migrated quickly to another server, providing for highly-available services. Release 2 also allows for very powerful rules for expressing dependencies between services and rules for where to locate them in the cluster. Because these services are all based on init(8) service scripts, they are extremely easy to configure and manage, and very familiar to system administrators. Linux-HA Release 2 is the most powerful Open Source HA solution available, comparable to virtually any HA package available from anyone.

In the workshop, these clusters will run Power Linux on IBM OpenPower logical partitions using advanced virtualization[*] techniques. Prior experience with high-availability, or Power hardware is not required. General knowledge of Linux (or UNIX) administration is recommended.

Miscellaneous Information

The people working on this include DaveRosenberg, representing IDG, DaveBlaschke from IBM, and AlanRobertson (also from IBM).

Power

We prefer 220V power (1475 Watts) but have a Philmore 2000 Watt Step Up & Down Power Transformer in our possession to handle 110V->220V

--Dave R has confirmed the availability of suitable power and ethernet connectivity in the room.

Hardware Configuration

• OpenPower 720

  • 40 LPARs - 1 Virtual I/O Server, 39 SLES9 (1 for instructors, 38 for 19 2-node clusters)
  • 4x1.65GHz processors - 0.10CPU per LPAR (the bare minimum!)
  • 64GB of RAM - 8GB for Virtual I/O Server and 1GB for each SLES9 LPAR
  • 8x73.4GB (587GB) of DASD - 73.4GB for Virtual I/O Server and 20GB for each cluster (9GB per SLES9, 1GB per shared data)
• HMC (Hardware Management Console).

Issues

External Internet Access

Having access to the external Internet is highly desirable. If it cannot be provided we need to know.

IP Addressing

To do 40 LPARS, with 40 participants (for example), we will need the following IP resources:

• 40 Fixed (well-known) administrative IPs
• 40 fixed (well-known) service IPs
• 4 more IPs for the HMC and 2 instructor laptops
• 40 participant IPs (DHCP)

Grand Total: 124 IP addresses

Ethernet Cables

• One for the HMC
• Three for the 720 (1 for FSP, 2 ports in integrated Ethernet adapter)
• One for each of two instructors
• One for each participant (approximately 30)

Total should be around 37 connections including cables. Dead minimum is 24 - one for each of 19 people connected to partitions, plus 5, for HMC, 720 FSP and Ethernet, instructors.

Disk Contents

• OS
• Release 2 software
• pre-populated /etc/hosts
• ssh pre-configured to allow instructors ssh root access w/o password
• Well-known root passwords
• Should all machines log to somewhere common?
• How to minimize errors given the shared disk pool?

Special Tools

• Tool to set/reset root password via ssh (?)
• Tool to grab logs and HA config from machine X
• Tool to (re)-install HA software on machine X on site.

• Tool from bug 609

• Tool to blast out /etc/hosts, or whavever else is needed.
• Anything else?

Demo Environment

• Apache

• DaveBlaschke figured out how to do shared disk (PowerSetupIssues)...

  • SMB, NFS? (unless we use DRBD)
  • If we can, then a file server to play music from would be good.

    AlanRobertson has located some music which it would be legal for us to play for the session.

• Anything else?

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