One of the features of AFS 3.4 is that file servers can be
multi-homed, i.e. they can have multiple network adapters.
After reading the AFS 3.4 Beta Release Notes, (especially
sections 3.3 and 14.1) I am very concerned over the many
statements about database servers can not be on multi-homed
hosts.
We have been running our AFS 3.3a servers (SunOS 4.1.3) for some
time with an FDDI and ethernet adapters with out problems. We
have carefully setup the /etc/hosts so the database servers
always use the same interface when communicating among them
selves. We have also setup DNS carefully, and only run commands
which might change an IP address in the VLDB from a machine which
will use the "correct" address. (The servers do not use DNS, but
find the other servers via the /etc/hosts. The /etc/hosts list
only one address for the other servers.)
I see that AFS 3.4 takes care of the multiple IP address problem
in the VLDB by using the /usr/afs/local/sysid file. Thats great.
If I take the release manuals at face value, they say I will have
to disconnect some of my interfaces, or get new servers!
Is there some other changes to the database servers over and
above what was in AFS 3.3a? If I can run the AFS 3.3a on a
multi-homed host carefully, why would I have to change this with
AFS 3.4?
Is what the manual is trying to say is that clients can contact
the file server on any address, but the database servers must
communicate among themselves using single addresses for each
server? We have forced this by using the /etc/hosts entries.
Douglas E. Engert
Systems Programming
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 South Cass Avenue
Argonne, Illinois 60439
(708) 252-5444
Internet: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
