Secure storage with GlusterFS
Other Cool GlusterFS Tricks
Because you can add and remove storage bricks from a volume, you can add entirely new servers and remove existing servers. Thus, you can remove dying hardware from your storage pool with minimal interruptions. Because the back-end data storage is simply a filesystem like XFS or ext4, and the metadata is contained within the files, you can easily back up your GlusterFS data on the storage servers. You also can monitor the contents of files easily by, for example, scanning for viruses or rootkits without having to depend on the clients mounting and using the data.
GlusterFS can also provide data storage to OpenStack Swift, Glance, and Cinder clients, and it can provide Hadoop HDFS storage, among other capabilities. Because GlusterFS uses a plugin architecture, in the longer term, it will be possible for more capabilities to be added and for GlusterFS to be extended – for example, by adding file encryption or multitenancy support per volume.
The future of storage on Linux is bright. Several solutions (e.g., GlusterFS, Ceph) that are under very active development allow you to create distributed, replicated, and high-performance storage systems with the use of cheap hardware. If you aren't already using these, I suggest you investigate them. Not having to worry about disk or server failure bringing down your storage back end is a good thing indeed.
Infos
- GlusterFS download: http://www.gluster.org/download/
- A kernel change breaks GlusterFS: http://lwn.net/Articles/544298/
« Previous 1 2
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
News
-
Linux Mint Edge Is Ready for the Newest Hardware
With the release of Linux Mint 20.03 comes a new version geared for newer hardware.
-
Linux Mint 20.3 Now Available
That latest release of Linux Mint is now available for general use and offers a polished, but less Mint-y theme.
-
Linux is Getting an Exciting New Firmware Feature
Intel is bringing a new driver to the 5.17 kernel that will make it possible to update firmware without a reboot.
-
Elementary OS 6.1 Has Been Released
The .1 version of the sixth iteration of elementary OS (named Odin) is now available for download and takes the distribution to new heights of refinement.
-
Linux Mint 20.3 Beta is Now Available
The developers of Linux Mint have made the beta of their latest release available for download and installation.
-
EndeavorOS 21.4 Has Arrived
Arch-based EndeavorOS 21.4 is finally available for download with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
NixOS 21.11 Now Available for Download
NixOS “Porcupine” has been made available for installation and includes numerous improvements.
-
KDE Plasma Developers Introduce a GNOME-Like Overview
A new overview effect makes it easier for users to interact with both Plasma Activities and Virtual Desktops.
-
Rocky Linux 8.5 Now Available with Secure Boot Support
The latest iteration of CentOS alternative, Rocky Linux has arrived and includes numerous updates as well as support for Secure Boot.
-
System76 Developing a New Desktop Environment
The makers of Pop!_OS are currently in the early stages of creating a brand new, non-GNOME, desktop environment.