Network communication

Setting network-related options - for example, how the network interfaces should be used, and which are the preferred ports - must be done in the /etc/storpool.conf configuration file.

Interfaces for StorPool cluster communication and StorPool block protocol

The network interface options should be defined in the following way:

SP_IFACE1_CFG='config-version':'resolve-interface':'raw-interface':'VLAN':'IP':'resolve':'shared':'mac'

The option names are SP_IFACE1_CFG and SP_IFACE2_CFG for the first and the second storage network interface, respectively. The option values are as follows:

config-version: version of the config format (currently 1)
resolve-interface: Name of the kernel interface that has the IP address.
raw-interface: Name of the raw interfaces to transmit and receive on.
VLAN: VLAN tag to use, or 0 if the VLAN is untagged. The VLAN is used for the StorPool block protocol, as well as for the synchronous replication between the cluster nodes.
IP: IP address to use for storage traffic.
resolve: ‘b’ - use broadcast for resolving (for Ethernet based networks); ‘k’ - use kernel address resolving (for IP-only networks).
shared: ‘s’ for shared in case of a bond interface on top; ‘x’ for exclusive - if nothing else is supposed to use this interface
mac: ‘r’ for using the unmodified MAC of the raw interface; ‘P’ (Privatized MAC); ‘v’ the resolve interfaces.

It is recommended to have two dedicated network interfaces for communication between the nodes. Here are a few examples:

Single VLAN active-backup bond interface, storage and API on the same VLAN:

SP_IFACE1_CFG=1:bond0.900:eth2:900:10.9.9.1:b:s:P
SP_IFACE2_CFG=1:bond0.900:eth3:900:10.9.9.1:b:s:P

Single VLAN, LACP bond interface, storage and API on the same VLAN:

SP_IFACE1_CFG=1:bond0.900:eth2:900:10.9.9.1:b:s:v
SP_IFACE2_CFG=1:bond0.900:eth3:900:10.9.9.1:b:s:v

Two VLANs: one VLAN for storage, one VLAN for API, both over bond:

SP_IFACE1_CFG=1:bond0.101:eth2:101:10.2.1.1:b:s:P
SP_IFACE2_CFG=1:bond0.101:eth2:101:10.2.1.1:b:s:P

Three VLANs: two VLANs for storage, API on separate physical interface

SP_IFACE1_CFG=1:eth2.101:eth2:101:10.2.1.1:b:x:v
SP_IFACE2_CFG=1:eth3.201:eth2:201:10.2.2.1:b:x:v

Address for API management

Address on which the StorPool API is bound. It is used by the active storpool_mgmt service to receive requests from user-space tools. Multiple clients can simultaneously send requests to the API; for details about the management service, see storpool_mgmt. By default, the address is bound on localhost:

SP_API_HTTP_HOST=127.0.0.1

For cluster-wide access and automatic failover between the nodes, multiple nodes might have the API service started. Only one storpool_mgmt service is active at any given time. The others are in standby mode. The specified IP address is brought up only on one of the nodes in the cluster at a time - the node with the active API service. You may specify an available IP address (SP_API_HTTP_HOST), which will be brought up or down on the corresponding interface (SP_API_IFACE) when the service becomes active or stand-by.

To configure an interface (SP_API_IFACE) and address (SP_API_HTTP_HOST):

SP_API_HTTP_HOST=10.10.10.240
SP_API_IFACE=eth1

Note

The script that adds or deletes the SP_API_HTTP_HOST address is located at /usr/lib/storpool/api-ip. It is executed on every change of the state of the storpool_mgmt service. The script could be easily modified to implement additional functions; for example configure routing, firewalls, and so on.

Port for API management

Port for the storpool_mgmt service for API management. The default value is 81:

SP_API_HTTP_PORT=81

API authentication token

This value must be an unique integer for each cluster:

SP_AUTH_TOKEN=0123456789

The token can be generated with: od -vAn -N8 -tu8 /dev/random

Note

This token is used only for the API authentication. Cluster management and inter-node communication (client to server, server-to-server) are not authenticated.

Ignore RX port option

Used to instruct the services that the network can preserve the selected port even when altering ports. Default value is 0:

SP_IGNORE_RX_PORT=0

Preferred port

Used for setting which port is preferred when two networks are specified, but only one of them could actually be used for any reason (in an active-backup bond style). The default value is 0 (load-balancing):

SP_PREFERRED_PORT=0 # load-balancing

When you want to specify a port, you should use one of the following values:

SP_PREFERRED_PORT=1 # use SP_IFACE1_CFG by default
SP_PREFERRED_PORT=2 # use SP_IFACE2_CFG by default

Address for the bridge service

IP address for the storpool_bridge bridge service (see Background services) to bind to for inbound or outbound connections. If not specified, the wildcard address (0.0.0.0) will be used.

SP_BRIDGE_HOST=180.220.200.8

Interface for the bridge address

Expected when the SP_BRIDGE_HOST value is a floating IP address for the storpool_bridge service:

SP_BRIDGE_IFACE=bond0.900

Unlike the interfaces used for the StorPool block protocol, this interface must be active in the Linux kernel. The traffic to it is routed by the Linux network stack.

Resolve interface is bridge

If set, the top interface in the SP_IFACE1/2_CFG will be considered as a bridge by the the iface-genconf tool. Also, if set the SP_BOND_IFACE_NAME is required (see below). Default: (empty)

SP_RESOLVE_IFACE_IS_BRIDGE

Note that this parameter is used only during the installation of StorPool, when the network interface configuration is prepared. The parameter is not used by the StorPool services, and modifying it would not affect these services.

Name of the bond interface

Required when the SP_RESOLVE_IFACE_IS_BRIDGE option is set (see above). Used by the iface-genconf tool to indicate what the name of the bond under the resolve interface would have to be. Default: (empty)

SP_BOND_IFACE_NAME

Note that this parameter is used only during the installation of StorPool, when the network interface configuration is prepared. The parameter is not used by the StorPool services, and modifying it would not affect these services.

Bridge service network mask

IP network mask (in bits) for the bridge service. Will default to 32 if unset. Default: (empty)

SP_BRIDGE_NET

Path to iproute2

Path to the iproute2 utilities. Default: unset

SP_IPROUTE2_PATH=

Host and port for the Web interface

You can use the SP_GUI_HTTP_HOST option to set the HTTP server host for StorPool’s Web interface. By default it is unset, in which case the Web interface is not available.

SP_GUI_HTTP_HOST=127.0.0.1

You can also use the option for setting the port. Default: 443

SP_GUI_HTTP_PORT=443