Re: [PATCH] update NFS/RDMA documentation

[James Lentini <jlentini@netapp.com>]

On Mon, 2 Jun 2008, Chuck Lever wrote:

> > @@ -77,22 +79,32 @@ Installation
> > 
> >    Uncompress the package and follow the installation instructions.
> > 
> > -    If you will not be using GSS and NFSv4, the installation process
> > -    can be simplified by disabling these features when running configure:
> > +    If you will not need the idmapper and gssd executables (you do not need
> > +    these to create an NFS/RDMA enabled mount command), the installation
> > +    process can be simplified by disabling these features when running
> > +    configure:
> 
> This explanation still seems confusing.
> 
> idmapper *is* required for NFSv4 (and I assume you can mount an 
> NFSv4 server over RDMA), 

Yes, NFSv4 works over RDMA.

> and gssd *is* required to support secure mounts, all of which may 
> co-exist with the RDMA capability.

I agree. The intent of the text is to inform the reader that the 
idmapper and gssd are not need if all they need is a 
NFS/RDMA-compatible (aka string mount API enabled) mount.nfs command.

> I think you would be much better off providing a recipe for building 
> and installing mount.nfs instead of trying to "insert" bits into the 
> instructions in the nfs-utils README.

I'm open to suggestions on how to improve the text. 

Can send an example of such a recipe?

> > -    > ./configure --disable-gss --disable-nfsv4
> > +    $ ./configure --disable-gss --disable-nfsv4
> > 
> > 
> > -    For more information on this see the package's README and INSTALL
> > files.
> > +    To build nfs-utils you will need the tcp_wrappers package installed.
> > For
> > +    more information on this see the package's README and INSTALL files.
> > 
> >    After building the nfs-utils package, there will be a mount.nfs binary in
> >    the utils/mount directory. This binary can be used to initiate NFS v2,
> > v3,
> >    or v4 mounts. To initiate a v4 mount, the binary must be called
> > mount.nfs4.
> >    The standard technique is to create a symlink called mount.nfs4 to
> > mount.nfs.
> > 
> > -    NOTE: mount.nfs and therefore nfs-utils-1.1.1 or greater is only needed
> > +    This mount.nfs binary should be installed at /sbin/mount.nfs as
> > follows:
> > +
> > +    $ sudo cp utils/mount/mount.nfs /sbin/mount.nfs
> > +
> > +    In this location, mount.nfs will be invoked automatically for NFS
> > mounts
> > +    by the system mount commmand.
> > +
> > +    NOTE: mount.nfs and therefore nfs-utils-1.1.2 or greater is only needed
> >    on the NFS client machine. You do not need this specific version of
> >    nfs-utils on the server. Furthermore, only the mount.nfs command from
> > -    nfs-utils-1.1.1 is needed on the client.
> > +    nfs-utils-1.1.2 is needed on the client.
> > 
> >  - Install a Linux kernel with NFS/RDMA
> > 
> > @@ -156,8 +168,8 @@ Check RDMA and NFS Setup
> >    this time. For example, if you are using a Mellanox Tavor/Sinai/Arbel
> >    card:
> > 
> > -    > modprobe ib_mthca
> > -    > modprobe ib_ipoib
> > +    $ modprobe ib_mthca
> > +    $ modprobe ib_ipoib
> > 
> >    If you are using InfiniBand, make sure there is a Subnet Manager (SM)
> >    running on the network. If your IB switch has an embedded SM, you can
> > @@ -166,7 +178,7 @@ Check RDMA and NFS Setup
> > 
> >    If an SM is running on your network, you should see the following:
> > 
> > -    > cat /sys/class/infiniband/driverX/ports/1/state
> > +    $ cat /sys/class/infiniband/driverX/ports/1/state
> >    4: ACTIVE
> > 
> >    where driverX is mthca0, ipath5, ehca3, etc.
> > @@ -174,10 +186,10 @@ Check RDMA and NFS Setup
> >    To further test the InfiniBand software stack, use IPoIB (this
> >    assumes you have two IB hosts named host1 and host2):
> > 
> > -    host1> ifconfig ib0 a.b.c.x
> > -    host2> ifconfig ib0 a.b.c.y
> > -    host1> ping a.b.c.y
> > -    host2> ping a.b.c.x
> > +    host1$ ifconfig ib0 a.b.c.x
> > +    host2$ ifconfig ib0 a.b.c.y
> > +    host1$ ping a.b.c.y
> > +    host2$ ping a.b.c.x
> > 
> >    For other device types, follow the appropriate procedures.
> > 
> > @@ -214,9 +226,9 @@ NFS/RDMA Setup
> > 
> >    For InfiniBand using a Mellanox adapter:
> > 
> > -    > modprobe ib_mthca
> > -    > modprobe ib_ipoib
> > -    > ifconfig ib0 a.b.c.d
> > +    $ modprobe ib_mthca
> > +    $ modprobe ib_ipoib
> > +    $ ifconfig ib0 a.b.c.d
> > 
> >    NOTE: use unique addresses for the client and server
> > 
> > @@ -225,30 +237,31 @@ NFS/RDMA Setup
> >    If the NFS/RDMA server was built as a module (CONFIG_SUNRPC_XPRT_RDMA=m
> > in kernel config),
> >    load the RDMA transport module:
> > 
> > -    > modprobe svcrdma
> > +    $ modprobe svcrdma
> > 
> >    Regardless of how the server was built (module or built-in), start the
> > server:
> > 
> > -    > /etc/init.d/nfs start
> > +    $ /etc/init.d/nfs start
> > 
> >    or
> > 
> > -    > service nfs start
> > +    $ service nfs start
> 
> I would expect that these commands, as well as the modprobe commands 
> you mentioned above, require root privileges.  Since you specified 
> "sudo" in your nfs-utils build instructions, you might want to use 
> "sudo" here, or explicitly state that the administrator must be root 
> to execute these commands successfully.

Ok.