Virtual Floating IPs
FlexSDS Clustered Virtual Floating IP (VIP)
FlexSDS supports configuring clustered Virtual Floating IPs (VIPs) within a storage cluster. This feature allows users to define a set of IP addresses, along with subnet masks and network interfaces. Each VIP is automatically assigned to one of the storage nodes in the cluster. If the node currently hosting a VIP fails, the IP is automatically transferred to another healthy node. This mechanism provides seamless high availability for services associated with the VIP.
Use Cases for Virtual Floating IPs
- Block Volumes
FlexSDS supports both multipath I/O (MPIO) and VIP-based high availability for block volumes. - Distributed File System (DFS)
Exporting NFS over a VIP ensures high availability for file system access. - Parallel Distributed File System (PDFS)
VIPs provide high availability for PDFS client metadata services. - Web Management Interface
Users can access the FlexSDS web UI through any configured VIP, ensuring uninterrupted management access.
Managing Cluster Virtual Floating IPs
To manage VIPs in a FlexSDS storage cluster:
Navigate to Storage Management > Nodes in the FlexSDS management interface.
Click the “Virtual IPs” link at the top of the page to open the Cluster Virtual IP window.
The window show the existing Virtual Floating IP’s status:
ID: unique ID for management
Floating IP: IP address and subnet
NIC Dev: Network device to be bound.
Bound Node: The node that the IP currently bound to.
Status: OK means IP is bound successfully, Unbound means the IP is allocated to the not but not currently start working.
To remove a VIP, click the “X” next to the IP entry.
To add a VIP, click the “Add” link.
In the Add Floating IP dialog:
- Enter the Floating IP and subnet (e.g., 192.168.0.100/24)
- Enter the network interface name, user can issue “ip a” command to see the NIC name in the host system. (e.g., ib0)
- Click the Add button to complete the configuration.
If you manage VIPs externally or make changes outside the interface, you can click the Refresh link to update the view.