GlusterFS is an open-source distributed file system that enables horizontal scaling. In simple terms, it allows you to add more servers to your cluster to increase capacity and performance without disrupting the system.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation of GlusterFS, make sure you have:

• At least two VPS servers running Linux, where GlusterFS will be deployed.
• Root access or sudo privileges on both servers.
• SSH installed and correctly configured between servers for passwordless communication.

Installing GlusterFS

1. Adding GlusterFS Repository: On both servers, add the official GlusterFS repository. For Ubuntu, you can do this by running:

   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gluster/glusterfs-7
   

2. Installing GlusterFS: After adding the repository, install GlusterFS on both servers using:

   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install glusterfs-server
   

3. Once installed, start and enable GlusterFS to run at system startup:

   sudo systemctl start glusterd
   sudo systemctl enable glusterd
   

 

Configuring the Cluster

1. Preparing Storage: Create a directory on each server to serve as a brick for GlusterFS. For example:

   sudo mkdir -p /data/brick1
   

2. Creating a Trusted Pool: On one of the servers, execute the command to add the second server to the trusted pool:

   sudo gluster peer probe <second-server-ip>
   

   Check the peer status using:

   sudo gluster peer status
   

 

Creating and Mounting GlusterFS Volume

1. Creating Volume: On one server, create a GlusterFS volume. For example, to create a replicated volume:

   sudo gluster volume create testvol replica 2 <first-server-ip>:/data/brick1 <second-server-ip>:/data/brick1 force
   

2. Starting Volume: After creating, start the volume:

   sudo gluster volume start testvol
   

3. Mounting Volume: On both servers (or any client), mount the volume using:

   sudo mount -t glusterfs <first-or-second-server-ip>:/testvol /mnt
   

 

Management and Maintenance

• Monitoring Status: Regularly monitor the cluster and volumes using commands like sudo gluster volume info and sudo gluster volume status.

• Expanding the Cluster: GlusterFS allows easy addition of more servers and bricks to an existing volume for capacity expansion.

• Backup and Recovery: Implement a backup strategy for data stored in GlusterFS to ensure recovery in case of loss.

• Software Updates: Keep GlusterFS updated on all servers for security and stability.

 

Distributed file systems like GlusterFS offer significant advantages in terms of reliability and scalability of data storage. By correctly configuring and maintaining GlusterFS on your VPS, you can achieve high availability and resilience against failures.