How to Install DRBD on OpenSUSE Latest?

DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Device) is a Linux-based software that helps you replicate block devices between multiple servers in real-time. It is designed to ensure high availability (HA) of critical resources like databases, file systems, and virtual machines.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to install DRBD on OpenSUSE Latest.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• A server running OpenSUSE Latest version
• Root access to the server
• A minimum of two servers that you want to replicate the block devices
• A basic understanding of Linux command-line interface (CLI)

Step 1: Update Your System

First, update your system to the latest version to ensure all the necessary packages are up to date. Run the following command:

sudo zypper update

Step 2: Install DRBD on OpenSUSE

DRBD is available in the OpenSUSE repository. It means it can easily be installed through the zypper package manager. Run the following command:

sudo zypper install drbd

Step 3: Configure Firewall

Next, we need to open the DRBD port on the firewall. Run the following command:

sudo firewall-cmd --add-port=7788/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

The above command will open port 7788 on your firewall.

Step 4: Configure DRBD on OpenSUSE

Now, we need to configure DRBD to replicate the block devices between the two servers. We will use the /dev/sdb device as an example in this tutorial. Run the following command to create a new configuration file for DRBD:

sudo nano /etc/drbd.d/rfc162-volumes.res

Add the below configuration in the above file:

resource home {

        on db1 {
            device /dev/drbd1;
            disk /dev/sdb;
            meta-disk internal;
        }

        on db2 {
            device /dev/drbd1;
            disk /dev/sdb;
            meta-disk internal;
        }

        syncer {

            rate 50M;

            al-extents 3389;

        }

}

Save and exit the file.

Note that the above configuration file is just an example. Modify it according to your needs.

Step 5: Start DRBD

Now start the DRBD service with the following command:

sudo systemctl start drbd

Step 6: Verify DRBD Status

Finally, verify the DRBD status with the following command:

sudo drbdadm status

The output should show that the DRBD service is up and running properly.

Conclusion

That's it. We have successfully installed DRBD on OpenSUSE Latest. You can now configure the replication of block devices between multiple servers in real-time. Happy Clustering!