A Guide to the IBM Clustered Network File System

The Clustered Network File System (CNFS) is a capability based on IBM® General Parallel File System™ (GPFS™) running on Linux® which, when combined with System x™ servers or BladeCenter® Servers, IBM TotalStorage® Disk Systems, and Storage Area Networks (SAN) components, provides a scalable file services environment. This capability enables customers to run a GPFS data serving cluster in which some or all of the nodes actively export the file system using NFS.

This IBM Redpaper publication shows how Cluster NFS file services are delivered and supported today through the configurable order process of the IBM System Cluster 1350™. The audience for this paper includes executive and consultant decision makers, as well as technical administrators who want to know how to implement this solution.

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Publish Date
13 May 2008

Last Update
30 May 2008

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Author(s)

Ira Chavis is a Certified Consulting IT Specialist in the Advanced Client Technology (A.C.T!) Centers in the IBM Systems and Technology Group (STG). Working in the STG Center for Solution Integration (CSI), he currently specializes in infrastructure architecture and solutions involving IBM server and storage technologies. He has over 28 years of diversified software engineering and IT experience. Prior to working at IBM, Ira worked at Digital Equipment Corporation in varying assignments. Ira holds certifications as an IBM eServer Certified Expert in System x, IBM Grid Technical Sales, Microsoft Certified System Engineer (NT4), and Red Hat Certified Technician.

• Ira Chavis

Dave Coutts is a Senior Technical Staff Member and the Systems and Technology Group Automotive/Industrial CTO. As CTO, Dave focuses on taking advantage of server and storage offerings from IBM into Selected Business Solutions for the Industrial Sector and on communicating requirements back to strategy and development organizations. Key to this role are the partnerships with SWG, GBS, GTS, and S&D peers around the globe. Prior to his CTO role, Dave was a Co-Director of the Server Systems Institute, a Core Team member of the Systems Technology Outlook, and he led many STG transformational activities based on his Server Development expertise. In 2003, Dave helped launch the Poughkeepsie affiliate of the IBM Academy of Technology as the initial chairperson, and in 2004 he was elected to the IBM Academy of Technology.

• Dave Coutts

Jay Huie is an IT Infrastructure Specialist focused primarily on integrating Linux deployments into enterprise environments. During his career at IBM, he has worked with multiple product families and has had extensive experience designing, deploying, testing, and auditing enterprise architectures. His current technical work covers clusters and grids, as well as managing IT environments. Of particular importance is the integration of business requirements and IT capabilities, by assisting clients by making tactical and strategic recommendations for their IT infrastructure. Jay has a degree in Computer Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a particular fondness for life at the boundaries of order and chaos.

• Jay Huie

Shuzheng Liu is a software engineer in the GPFS team in the U. S. He has eight years of experience in functional verification testing field. His areas of expertise include GPFS, NFS, CNFS, and CIFS (Samba). He holds a Ph.D. in physics and an MS in computer science from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

• Shuzheng Liu

Sheryl Qualters is a Project Manager and Certified PMP in the Advanced Client Technology (A.C.T!) Centers in the IBM Systems and Technology Group (STG). With over 20 years of experience at IBM, Sheryl is currently responsible for project management of solutions at the STG Center for Solution Integration (CSI) in Poughkeepsie, NY. Her previous assignments included working at the System p benchmark center in Poughkeepsie, NY, and various positions at IBM in Rochester, MN.

• Sheryl Qualters

Bob Demkowicz is an ITIL Certified Infrastructure Architect with the Center for Solution Integration (CSI) team in Poughkeepsie, NY. He has 28 years of experience in IBM. This experience includes development from circuit design through system integration, device driver design, and test as well as various project management aspects of IBM business. Bob was the I/O Technical Chief Engineering Manger for IBM System p cluster interconnect prior to his joining of the CSI team. His expertise includes distributed computing systems, Storage Area Networks (SAN), server I/O subsystems and adapters, RISC processor design, server I/O performance, and high performance cluster interconnect. He has additional experience with establishing vendor programs with emphasis on inter-company alliances. He is now involved in designing and architecting business/infrastructure solutions and working with industry leaders to define reference architectures.

• Bob Demkowicz

Daniel Turkenkopf is a Solutions Architect in the IBM Design Center for IT Optimization and Business Flexibility located in Poughkeepsie, NY. He leads collaborative design sessions with clients to effectively take advantage of IBM technology in their infrastructure. His areas of expertise include service-oriented architectures and systems management. Prior to this role, Dan was a J2EE Application Architect with IBM Global Business Services Public Sector practice where he was responsible for the user interface tier of a multi-billion dollar modernization effort for a Federal agency. His product experience includes WebSphere Application Server, WebSphere Portal Server, and Tivoli Provisioning Manager. Dan holds a BA in Mathematics and a BS in Economics with a concentration in Management and Information Systems from the University of Pennsylvania.

• Daniel Turkenkopf

IBM Form Number
REDP-4400-00

Number of pages

80