RE: [Xen-users] easy high availability storage

["James Harper" <james.harper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> i want to setup a easy high availability storage system for xen guest
os.
> (1 pc that run xen and 2 nas for storage)
> 
> THE HARDAWARE
>    PC1 runns has 2 physical lan interfaces. the interfaces are
directly
> connected to 2 separated nas.
>    the nas are basic file servers .. no special setup.
> 
> GUEST OS
>    on pc1 a host os is installed that runns xen.
> 
> XEN
>    xen provides a virtual disc for the guest os. HERE IS THE THING:
instead
> that this virtual disc is stored on one drive, is should be STORED ON
2
> NETWORK SHARES. (something like raid1 over lan)
> 
> IN CASE OF CRASH
>    server1 or server 2 can crash completely.
>    lan1 or lan2 can crash or be unplugged
>    switch1 or switch2 can have failure
>    the xen virtual disk "driver"  will continue working on the other
nas.
> 
> AFTER CRASH
>    if both nas/lan run again, the xen virtual disk "driver" should
resync
> the crashed system with the running disc.
> 
> THE QUESTION
>    is it possible to setup xen so that is uses the 2 network share to
store
> the virtual discs ?
> 
> (of corse there will be many pc's that use this 2 nas systems for
storage
> .. and/or multiple xen can run on it... so at the end nas1 and nas2
will
> host many discs. it would be perfect if the disc taht runs the guest
os
> and xen will be a cd-iso or usb-stick)
> 

You haven't specified a budget so it's hard to know what to recommend.
HP and others make NAS/SAN devices that will do what you want, but don't
expect change out of $20K.

For about 1/10th of that you could set up a few servers and run DRBD
which operates almost exactly as you described. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drbd
http://www.drbd.org/

James

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