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<pre wrap="">-----Original Message-----
From: Igor Neves [<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="mailto:igor@3gnt.net">mailto:igor@3gnt.net</a>]
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 4:08 AM
To: Scott Inderlied
Cc: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:drbd-user@lists.linbit.com">drbd-user@lists.linbit.com</a>
Subject: Re: [DRBD-user] HVM windows servers with xen/drbd/ha failover
Hi,
Scott Inderlied wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap=""><span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>I'm in the process of setting up a DRBD 2-node cluster with 2
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>instances of windows server (one 2003, one 2008) virtualized in xen
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>and a samba or possibly later iscsi data share volume. I've got CentOS
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>5.3 and DRBD 8.3.1 on LVM volumes. I've got DRBD up and working and
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>almost have heartbeat (no hbstatus on one node, troubleshooting
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>presently).
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>My concern is what i've got to do to make live migration work with
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>hvm. The documentation states:
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>"Under these circumstances, you must use the traditional phy: device
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>syntax and the DRBD device name that is associated with your resource,
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>not the resource name. That, however, requires that you manage DRBD
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>state transitions outside Xen, which is a less flexible approach than
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>that provided by the drbd resource type."
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
If you use something like this "disk = [ 'drbd:myresource,xvda,w']", and
you use like me, lvm as disk for your drbd resource, you will notice
that it will not work, even if you do dual-primary mode.
Have something to do with too fast initialization of the xen virtual
machine, if you do it by hand, and not with heartbeat, it will work,
with heartbeat don't, it's too fast when putting in primary and start
virtual machine, virtual machine starts but says it has no disk
attached, or disk without boot sector.
Anyway you can try setting up dual primary mode, with any of the
clustered filesystems on it, anyway i thought lvm was faster, without
file system stuff in the middle.
For anyone interested, my resource write/read performance of one drbd
resources under xen, was not very good, and i never found the problem.
It was something like in the host, direct to resource 85MB/sec writing,
inside virtual machine over the same resource, I get about 45MB/sec.
Yes I was with PV drivers inside windows, and yes I have tested with 3
different windows versions (XP, 2k3, 2k8). I have also tested the same
disks without on drbd resource, so my phy was directly sda, and i get
writing about 95MB/sec.
Something very strange, if i disconnect my resource, i get full speed,
connected again i become with 45MB/sec again, and the most important,
this same resource sync's at 90MB/sec. How weird? <span
class="moz-smiley-s1"><span> :) </span></span> (never found out
the problem).
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap=""><span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>Is this much more difficult to set up than with the drbd: disk
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>resource? Can heartbeat handle the state and xen transitions? I'm
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>using CRM so can i use the Xen OCF with the drbddisk agent? If anyone
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>has experience with similar situations i'd welcome the advice.
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
Yes, i have one cluster exactly with this setup working so far so good.
I have used phy for the disk, drbd resources in primary/secondary, and
use drbddisk ocf to promote the drbd resource, and use xen resource to
promote the xen virtual machine. This is basically what drbd: does, so,
this is not a problem, you only have to manage one more resource. <span
class="moz-smiley-s1"><span> :) </span></span>
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap=""><span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>--
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>TIA,
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>Scott
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
PS: this is not drbd related but will help you improving your xen
installation,
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://grantmcwilliams.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=229:">http://grantmcwilliams.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=229:</a>
install-xen-33-on-centos-5-the-easy-way&catid=97:xen-howtos&Itemid=465
Good Luck,
<div class="moz-txt-sig">> Igor,
> Thank you so much for saving me potentially hours of frustration learning
> what you've discovered. I've found some websites mentioning pv win drivers
> but none that were free/OS. Do you have any pointers there?
Yes, check out this <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenWindowsGplPv">http://wiki.xensource.com/xenwiki/XenWindowsGplPv</a>
And the drivers I'm using it's <a
href="http://www.meadowcourt.org/downloads/Xen%20PV%20Drivers%200.9.12-pre13.exe">Xen PV Drivers 0.9.12-pre13.exe</a>
Enjoy,
</div></pre>
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