[DRBD-user] DRBD Replication Modes

Nathan Joyes njoyes at interprisesoftware.com
Mon Dec 10 15:25:32 CET 2012

Note: "permalinks" may not be as permanent as we would like,
direct links of old sources may well be a few messages off.


>> We are investigating the possibility of using DRBD to perform 
>> synchronous replication of our PostgreSQL database server. After 
>> reading the Replication modes section of the DRBD features 
>> documentation we concluded that we would need to use protocol C, which 
>> is describes writes to be considered complete only after both the 
>> local and the remote disk writes have been confirmed.  However, during 
>> our testing we were able to continuously write to the primary device 
>> after disabling network traffic on the secondary.
>
>http://www.drbd.org/users-guide/s-node-failure.html
>
>>  We also noticed that during high write loads on the primary the 
>> number of kilobytes out of sync would grow, but eventually the 
>> secondary would catch up.
>
>Only when in disconnected mode. And then after the connection is restored, you resync:
>http://www.drbd.org/users-guide/s-resync.html
>
>> After reading the documentation, we were surprised at the testing results.
>
>Um, sorry, you seem to not have reviewed the documentation in sufficient detail. :)
>
>> Is this expected and/or correct behavior, or have we incorrectly 
>> configured something for the DRBD device?
>
>Perfectly expected.
>
>Now, if you're looking for PostgreSQL HA, the alternative to DRBD is obviously to use Postgres synchronous replication, available since 9.1. Also integrated with Pacemaker. Since that option forgoes >DRBD, though, a discussion of that option would be off-topic for this list, and if you're interested in pursuing that option I'd encourage you to take this discussion to the Pacemaker or linux-ha >mailing list.

Thanks for the links.  After re-reading them it sounds like protocol C 
is synchronous when in a connected state, otherwise it suspends replication
until the connection is restored, and it then performs a resync.

Thanks again,
-- 
Nathan.





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