Guide: Quickly Deploy GlusterFS Cluster through the Linode Marketplace

Introduction to GlusterFS and the Linode Marketplace

What is GlusterFS?

• Scalability: Add more servers to increase storage capacity and performance.
• High Availability: Data replication across nodes ensures no single point of failure.
• Flexibility: Supports various workloads, from media streaming to big data analytics.

What is the Linode Marketplace?

Prerequisites

1. A Linode Account
   You’ll need an active account with Linode, a leading cloud hosting provider. If you don’t have one yet, head over to Linode’s website to sign up. A basic account will suffice, but ensure you have sufficient resources (e.g., compute instance credits) to deploy multiple nodes.
2. Linode API Token
   The GlusterFS Cluster app requires a Linode API token with Read/Write access to Linodes. This token enables the provisioner node (a temporary instance created during deployment) to set up the cluster’s components automatically. To generate an API token:
   • Log in to the Linode Cloud Manager.
   • Navigate to API Tokens under your profile settings.
   • Create a new token with Read/Write permissions for Linodes.
   • Copy the token and store it securely—you’ll need it during configuration.
     For detailed instructions, refer to Linode’s API Token Guide.
3. List of Client IP Addresses
   Identify the IP addresses of the client machines that will access the GlusterFS cluster. These IPs will be whitelisted during deployment, and SSL certificates will be generated to secure communication between the cluster and clients. Ensure these IPs are static or predictable, as they’re tied to the security configuration.

Accessing the Linode Marketplace

1. Log In
   Open your browser and log in to the Linode Cloud Manager using your Linode credentials.
2. Navigate to the Marketplace
   In the left navigation menu, click on Marketplace. This will bring you to the Linode Create page with the Marketplace tab pre-selected.
3. Select GlusterFS Cluster
   Scroll through the list of available apps or use the search bar to locate GlusterFS Cluster. Click on it to proceed to the configuration form.

Configuring the GlusterFS Cluster

• Linode API Token
  Paste the API token you generated earlier into this field. This token authorizes the provisioner node to create and configure the cluster’s compute instances.
• Limited Sudo User
  The deployment process automatically creates a limited sudo user on the new compute instance. This user comes with a strong, randomly generated password for security. After deployment, you can retrieve the username and password by running the following command on the instance:
  bash

  cat /home/$USERNAME/.credentials

  Replace $USERNAME with the actual username displayed in the output.
• List of IP Addresses to Whitelist
  Enter the client IP addresses you prepared earlier. Separate multiple IPs with commas (e.g., 192.168.1.100, 192.168.1.101). These IPs will be allowed to mount the GlusterFS volume, and SSL certificates will be generated for each to ensure secure access.

Deploying the Cluster

1. Review Settings
   Take a moment to review the API token, sudo user details, and whitelisted IPs. Ensure everything matches your intended setup.
2. Initiate Deployment
   Click the Create button at the bottom of the form. This starts the provisioning process, during which Linode will:
   • Spin up the necessary compute instances.
   • Install and configure GlusterFS software.
   • Set up replication and networking between nodes.
3. Wait for Completion
   The deployment typically takes 5-10 minutes after the compute instances finish provisioning. You can monitor progress in the Linode Cloud Manager under the Linodes section.

Verifying the Installation

1. Access the Cluster Nodes
   Log in to each GlusterFS server via SSH using the limited sudo user credentials created during deployment.
2. Check GlusterFS Status
   Run the following command on one of the nodes to verify the cluster’s health:
   bash

   sudo gluster peer status

   This should list all nodes in the cluster and their connection status (e.g., Connected).
3. Validate the Volume
   Ensure the default volume (data-volume) is active:
   bash

   sudo gluster volume info

   Look for details like volume name, type (e.g., Replicate), and status (e.g., Started).

Configuring Client Nodes

1. Install the GlusterFS Client

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install glusterfs-client

2. Create the Secure-Access File

sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/glusterd
sudo touch /var/lib/glusterd/secure-access

3. Copy SSL Certificates

• On the server, locate the certificates in /usr/lib/ssl: client1.pem, client1.key, and glusterfs.ca.
• Use scp to transfer them to the client’s /usr/lib/ssl directory:
  bash

  scp /usr/lib/ssl/{client1.pem,client1.key,glusterfs.ca} user@client-ip:/usr/lib/ssl/

• Ensure the files have appropriate permissions (e.g., sudo chmod 600 /usr/lib/ssl/*).

4. Update /etc/hosts

192.168.1.10 gluster1
192.168.1.11 gluster2
192.168.1.12 gluster3

5. Mount the GlusterFS Volume

sudo mkdir /mnt/gluster
sudo mount -t glusterfs gluster1:/data-volume /mnt/gluster

• gluster1 is the hostname or IP of one of the GlusterFS servers.
• /mnt/gluster is the local mount point (adjust as needed).

gluster1:/data-volume /mnt/gluster glusterfs defaults,_netdev,backup-volfile-servers=gluster2:gluster3 0 0

Additional Considerations

• Only whitelist trusted IP addresses during deployment, as SSL certificates are generated based on this list.
• Use strong passwords for the sudo user and secure your SSH access with key-based authentication.

• Linode Docs on GlusterFS
• Official GlusterFS Documentation

Conclusion