Run Samba in clustered mode with Ceph

Double Sure

Article from Issue 191/2016
Author(s):

Fail-safe is a massive topic for file server admins. Thanks to the CTDB and Ceph, you can put Samba in a cluster with minimal complications.

The popularity of Samba means file server admins have to think about how they can protect the service against loss. Samba is now mature and runs without any problems in most cases, but if the server on which Samba is running crashes, the service is no longer available.

The Samba developers are aware of the need for some fault tolerance and have responded to the problem with a genuine cluster option. Samba's cluster mode means you can use several Samba servers to process incoming requests. A single Samba server crash will not stop the show because other servers in the cluster will keep working.

Configuring Samba's cluster mode is not entirely intuitive, especially considering that the Samba cluster implementation has changed radically several times in the past few years. This article offers a quick look at high availability with Samba.

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
Print Issues
Digital Issues
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Print Subs
Digisubs
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Samba for Clusters

    Samba Version 3.3 and the CTDB lock manager provide full cluster support.

    more »
  • Storage Cluster

    When building cloud environments, you need more than just a scalable infrastructure, you also need a high-performance storage component. We look at Ceph, a distributed object store and filesystem that pairs well in the cloud with OpenStack.

    more »
  • Samba 4

    Samba 4 has been around for more than three years, but some users still shy from it. If you are still sitting on the fence, this tour through some of the new features and capabilities might help you decide whether it is finally time to upgrade.

    more »
  • Samba 3.2 With IPv6, Clustering and GPLv3

    The free Samba project has just released version 3.2 of the file and printer server for Microsoft Windows clients. The team will be moving to the GPL v3 license as of this version.

    more »
  • Samba's Registry

    Samba's new registry-based configuration system conserves resources and lets the administrator configure entire clusters with a single command.

    more »
comments powered by Disqus