CONFIG-GFARM(8)

💖 config-gfarm — the manual, but make it make sense 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because this is CONFIG-GFARM(8) from the Gfarm manual set, and it's literally the glow-up ritual for your metadata server. no cap. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

config-gfarm — set up a metadata server of Gfarm. that's it, that's the whole job. 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

config-gfarm [options]

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so config-gfarm is the utility that sets up a metadata server of the Gfarm file system. the actual server program that runs on a metadata server is called gfmd. (yes, that's its name, iconic.) ✨

heads up: you're required to run config-gfarm with root privilege — unless you're using the file system for private purposes, like development, evaluation, or testing of Gfarm. then you can vibe however you want. 🫶

here's the tea — config-gfarm does these things, in exactly this order:

1. Set up the backend database. 🗄️
2. Generate Gfarm configuration files %%SYSCONFDIR%%/gfarm2.conf and %%SYSCONFDIR%%/gfmd.conf. 📝
3. Create scripts (or configuration files) to start/stop the backend database and gfmd. ⚙️

On most systems, config-gfarm puts the start/stop scripts gfmd and gfarm-pgsql onto either /etc/init.d or /etc/rc.d/init.d, according to the operating system. pick your fighter based on your OS, iykyk.

On Linux with systemd such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 or later, config-gfarm puts the unit configuration files gfmd.service and gfarm-pgsql.service onto /etc/systemd/system, and then executes systemctl enable gfmd.service and systemctl enable gfarm-pgsql.service respectively. modern problems, modern solutions. 💫

4. Start the backend database and gfmd. 🔥
5. Put the script unconfig-gfarm.sh on %%SYSCONFDIR%%. this script does the *un*configuration of the metadata server. it stops gfmd and the backend database, and removes all files created by config-gfarm — including unconfig-gfarm.sh itself. it's giving self-destruct mode, and honestly? respect. 💀

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before you set up a metadata server using config-gfarm, it is highly recommended that you run config-gfarm -t first. with the -t option, the setup is not performed. instead, it shows you the values of all the configurable parameters. a vibe check before the commitment, basically. 👑

$ config-gfarm -t
prefix                 [--prefix]:
metadata backend             [-b]: postgresql
(available backend: postgresql )
metadata     directory       [-l]: /var/gfarm-pgsql
metadata log directory       [-L]: /var/gfarm-pgsql/pg_xlog
postgresql admin user        [-U]: miles
postgresql admin password    [-W]: (auto generated)
postgresql user              [-u]: gfarm
postgresql password          [-w]: (auto generated)
postgresql prefix            [-P]: /usr
postgresql version           [-V]: 9.2
postgresql XML supported     [-X]: no
metadata replication         [-r]: no
metaserver hostname          [-h]: host1.example.org
matadata admin user          [-A]: miles
matadata admin dn            [-D]:
portmaster port              [-p]: 10602
gfmd port                    [-m]: 601
auth type                    [-a]: sharedsecret
rc script for gfmd               : /etc/init.d/gfmd
rc script for backend            : /etc/init.d/gfarm-pgsql
gfmd conf file                   : /etc/gfmd.conf
gfarm client conf file           : /etc/gfarm2.conf
gfmd pid file                    : /var/run/gfmd.pid
backend pid file                 : /var/run/postmaster.pid

and the key to reading that list: the option name surrounded by [ ] means you can specify a value with that option. so if you see [-b], that's your cue that -b is how you set it. 🎯

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more parts incoming, bestie — don't go anywhere 💖

✨ OPTIONS ✨

okay bestie, this is where we pick all the knobs and flags. every single one matters, no cap 💅

• --prefix path — configure some paths related to gfmd and the backend database. specifically, these followings are affected:
  • the directory to put metadata of Gfarm. that is PREFIX/var/gfarm-pgsql if the backend database is PostgreSQL. the path can also be changed by -l option. when both options are specified, -l option has preference.
  • the directory to put log files about metadata. that is PREFIX/var/gfarm-pgsql/pg_xlog if the backend database is PostgreSQL. the path can also be changed by -L option. when both options are specified, -L option has preference.
  • the directory to put journal files of gfmd. that is PREFIX/var/gfarm-metadata/journal. the path can also be changed by -j option. when both options are specified, -j option has preference.
  • the directory to put PID files of gfmd and the backend database. that is PREFIX/var/run.
  • the directory to put configuration files. that is PREFIX/etc.
  • the directory of start/stop scripts for gfmd and its backend database. that is PREFIX/etc/init.d or PREFIX/rc.d/init.d/etc which is depending on operating systems.
  • if systemd is running on the host, there is a special exception. when an empty prefix is given by --prefix option on such host, config-gfarm doesn't put unit configuration files for systemd. instead, it puts traditional start/stop scripts at PREFIX/etc/init.d.
  • the unconfiguration script unconfig-gfarm.sh. that is PREFIX/etc/unconfig-gfarm.sh.

the default is "" (empty).

• -b backend — specify backend database. it currently supports "postgresql" (for PostgreSQL) only. "ldap" (for LDAP) was supported in the past, but not maintained any longer. config-gfarm -t lists which backend databases are available.

PostgreSQL is chosen by default if "postgresql" is in the list. if the available backend is "ldap" only, it is still chosen by default. note that you need to recompile Gfarm if you'd like to make Gfarm on your system support a backend database not in the list.

• -d digest_type — enable checksum calculation and specify the digest type of the checksum. the digest_type argument is a lower-case name which is supported by the OpenSSL library on the host, such as "md5".
• -U username — specify administrator's username of the Gfarm file system. since the default value differs depending on operating systems, execute config-gfarm -t to confirm the username.
• -u username — the configured gfmd will connect to the backend database as the specified username. the default is "gfarm".
• -P prefix — specify an installation prefix of the backend database (e.g. /usr/local). when config-gfarm executes an administration command of the backend database, it assumes the command is installed under the given prefix. an example of those commands is initdb of PostgreSQL. if this option is omitted, config-gfarm searches directories listed in the environment variable PATH for the commands.
• -V version — tell version of the backend database to config-gfarm. in most cases, config-gfarm can detect a correct version number by itself. this option should be used only when config-gfarm fails to get the correct version number.
• -l directory — specify a path to the directory where the backend database puts files to store metadata of Gfarm.

if the backend database is PostgreSQL, the directory is commonly called PGDATA directory. the default is PREFIX/var/gfarm-pgsql where PREFIX is a prefix given by --prefix option.

• -L directory — specify a path to the directory where the backend database puts log files. if the backend database is PostgreSQL, the default is PREFIX/var/gfarm-pgsql/pg_xlog where PREFIX is a prefix given by --prefix option.
• -h hostname — specify a hostname which is used to identify the metadata server. the default is the fully qualified domainname of the host.
• -j directory — specify a path to the directory where gfmd puts journal files. this option takes an effect only when metadata replication is enabled by -r option. the default value is PREFIX/var/gfarm-metadata/journal where PREFIX is a prefix given by --prefix option.
• -A username — specify administrator of the Gfarm file system. if this option is omitted, config-gfarm gets a username by executing who am i command.
• -D subject-dn — specify a subject DN of global administrator. this option is mandatory, in case that the authentication method is GSI,
• -p port — specify a TCP port number the configured backend database listens on. the default is 10602.
• -m port — specify a TCP port number the configured gfmd listens on. the default value is 10601 in case of the private mode, 601 otherwise.
• -a method — specify an authentication method. it currently recognizes "sharedsecret" or "gsi". the default is "sharedsecret".
• --help — show usage, then exit.
• -S — enable the private mode. config-gfarm sets up the Gfarm file system which can be run without root privilege. specifically, config-gfarm changes the configuration procedures as follows:
  • the default listen port of gfmd (corresponding with -m option) is changed from 601 to 10601.
  • the user map file %%SYSCONFDIR%%/usermap is also created. the metadata server reads this file when it starts. in the non-private mode, it is required to create the user accounts for _gfarmmd and _gfarmfs on the operating system. with the user map file, the creation of the user accounts is not needed. the file defines mappings of Gfarm system users to actual user accounts.
  • the configuration file for gfsd, %%SYSCONFDIR%%/gfsd.conf is also created. in the non-private mode, gfsd reads the configuration file %%SYSCONFDIR%%/gfarm2.conf instead, which is read by all Gfarm programs connecting with a metadata server. %%SYSCONFDIR%%/gfsd.conf is a configuration file cutomized for gfsd running under the private mode.

🚨 -S option never changes locations of start/stop scripts and configuration files. since the default locations of those files are usually writable only for privilege users, config-gfarm fails to create them. to avoid this problem, also specify --prefix option.

• -N — do not start gfmd or the backend database.
• -f — force overwriting an existing set up.
• -t — show values of all configurable parameters in human readable format, then exit immediately.
• -T — like -t option, but it shows values in KEY=VALUE format.
• -r — enable metadata replication among metadata servers.
• -W password — specify administrator's password of backend database. this option corresponds with -U option which specifies the username. by default, the password is generated automatically.
• -w password — the configured gfmd will connect the backend database with the specified password. this option corresponds with -u option which specifies the username. by default, the password is generated automatically.
• -X — enable XML Path Language (XPath) support for querying XML extended attributes.
• -E — set up PostgreSQL with the data checksums option. config-gfarm gives --data-checksums option to initdb command of PostgreSQL. note that PostgreSQL 9.3 or later is required to use this feature. this option takes an effect only when the backend database is PostgreSQL.

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📁 FILES 📁

• %%SYSCONFDIR%%/gfarm2.conf — configuration file for Gfarm clients
• %%SYSCONFDIR%%/gfmd.conf — configuration file for gfmd
• %%SYSCONFDIR%%/gfsd.conf — configuration file for gfsd (used only in the private mode)
• %%SYSCONFDIR%%/usermap — user mapping definition file (used only in the private mode)
• /etc/init.d/gfarm-pgsql — start/stop script for PostgreSQL running as backend database of Gfarm
• /etc/init.d/gfmd — start/stop script for gfmd
• /etc/systemd/system/gfarm-pgsql.service — unit configuration file for PostgreSQL running as backend database of Gfarm, read by systemd
• /etc/systemd/system/gfmd.service — unit configuration file for gfmd, read by systemd

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👀 SEE ALSO 👀

• gfarm2.conf(5), config-gfsd(8)

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this iconic little page is from Gfarm, dated 20 Jan 2015, and it's CONFIG-GFARM(8) — periodt 💅✨