Storage Resource Broker 3.4.2 review
DownloadStorage Resource Broker is client-server middleware that provides a uniform interface for connecting to heterogeneous data resources
|
|
Storage Resource Broker is client-server middleware that provides a uniform interface for connecting to heterogeneous data resources over a network and accessing replicated data sets.
SRB, in conjunction with the Metadata Catalog (MCAT), provides a way to access data sets and resources based on their attributes and/or logical names rather than their names or physical locations.
Starting with SRB 2.1.1 we now have an install script, install.pl, that can do a complete Postgres, MCAT and SRB installation. See README.MCAT.INSTALL. With SRB 3.0.0, this script can run on Solaris too, as well as the original Linux and Mac OS X.
The SEA authentication system is no longer recommended; for the secure authentication use either the ENCRYPT1 form of MDAS_AUTH authentication, or GSI. It should be noted that if the SEA authentication scheme is to be used and if the SEA library (libsea.a) does not already exist on your build platform, the SEA software that can be downloaded at the
URL must be built first.
1) Build configuration.
This version uses the configure script to configure the build. Most of the configurable parameters for building the SRB server and client can be configured using the "./configure" script. Run "./configure --help" for more information.
All configurable parameters for building the SRB server and the client library, including those set by the configure script, are defined in the mk/mk.config.in file. (The configure script automatically generates a third file, mk/mk.config, using mk/mk.config.in as a
template.)
Those parameters that cannot be modified via the configure script (because flags for those parameters have not yet been implemented) are set by directly editing the mk/mk.config.in file prior to running "./configure". Comments in the mk/mk.config.in file make it clear whether or not a particular parameter can be set through the configure
script, and if so, how to do so.
NOTE: The configure script does a number of self tests before the configuration is carried out. One of the test it does is the compiler test which it assumes "gcc" as the default compiler. If "gcc" is not installed or if the test of "gcc" failed (which happened on an AIX platform), the configure script should be re-run with the env variable CC set to cc or other compilers. This will override the default in the compiler test.
If the configure script still failed, do the following:
a) cd SRB2_0_0rel
b) ./config.rescue
c) edit the mk/mk.config file
2) Configure examples
a) Non-MCAT-enabled server and client, type in
configure
This will configure the mk.config file to build a non-MCAT enabled
server and client with the default settings.
b) Non-MCAT-enabled server and client with java enabled, type in
configure --enable-javagui=yes --enable-jdkhome=/usr/local/apps/jdk1.4.1
where /usr/local/apps/jdk1.4.1 is the directory where the JAVA JDK 1.4.1
is installed.
c) MCAT-enabled server with Oracle 8.1.5 MCAT, type in
configure --enable-oramcat --enable-oraver=815
--enable-orahome=/usr/local/apps/oracle/product/8.1.7
where /usr/local/apps/oracle/product/8.1.7 is the Oracle home
directory.
2) Parameters in the mk/mk.config file
The SRB architecture supports multiple SRB servers running on various hosts. Each SRB server may be built with different options, as set by the configure script and/or defined in the mk/mk.config.in file. For example, the SRB server on host A may include the driver for accessing HPSS and the SRB server on host B may include the driver for accessing the Lobj stored in DB2, etc.
The parameters are self-explanatory through the comments given in this file. Some of the more important parameters are discussed below:
installDir - The absolute path of the SRB install directory.
PORTNAME - The OS platform of this SRB port. Currently, the SRB software runs on 8 platforms. i.e., valid PORTNAME's are :
PORTNAME_solaris, PORTNAME_sunos, PORTNAME_linux, PORTNAME_osx,
PORTNAME_aix, PORTNAME_alpha, PORTNAME_c90 and PORTNAME_sgi.
SRB_LARGEFILE64 - defines whether the 64 bit file size is supported by the underlining driver of this SRB server. Current, 64 bit file size is supported by the ORTNAME_solaris, PORTNAME_aix, PORTNAME_linux and PORTNAME_c90 platforms.
ORAMCAT - defines that this SRB server being built is MDAS enabled and the MCAT is stored in Oracle DBMS. Normally, only one SRB server is MDAS enabled.
DB2MCAT - defines that this SRB server being built is MDAS enabled and the MCAT is stored in Oracle DBMS. Normally, only one SRB server is MDAS enabled.
NOTE : Both ORAMCAT and DB2MCAT cannot be defined at the same time.
ADDR_64BIT - defines whether to compile for 64 bits address. This option has only been tested for the the Solaris and Linux platforms.
PARA_OPR - defines whether this SRB server support parallel operation API.
MDAS_AUTH - defines whether the plain text and encrypted password MDAS authorization scheme will be supported. If used, the user/passwd pair registered with the MDAS catalog will be used to authenticate a user. Comment it out if the SRB server does not support MDAS authorization.
NOTE : A server can be built to support either MDAS_AUTH (plain or encrypted ('ENCRYPT1')) or GSI_AUTH, or both.
SEA_AUTH - defines whether SEA authorization scheme will be supported. The software can be configured to support both SEA_AUTH and MDAS_AUTH. (SEA is no longer recommended.)
LIB_SEA - Is needed only if SEA_AUTH is defined. LIB_SEA specifies where the SEA client library is located.
GSI_AUTH - defines whether the GSI authentication scheme is supported. This is set when --enable-gsi-auth is included on the configure line.
NOTE : A server can be built to support either MDAS_AUTH or GSI_AUTH,
or both.
LIB_GSI_AUTH - Set by configure when --enable-gsi-auth is included (i.e. GSI_AUTH is defined). LIB_GSI_AUTH specifies where the GSI client libraries are located. The optional configure --enable-globus-location=path can also be used specify the parent
location of the GSI libaries, and will cause LIB_GSI_AUTH to be adjusted.
JAVA_GUI and javaDir - JAVA_GUI defines whether the srbBrowser should be built. javaDir specifies the directory where the JDK software is installed. (e.g. /usr/local/apps/Java). See README.srbBrowser for more details.
3) "cd" to the main SRB directory and type in "gmake clean" and then "gmake" to make the SRB software. The Makefile contains various options to make and clean all or a subset of the build.
- gmake --- build all.
- gmake clean --- clean all.
- gmake srb --- build only the SRB server and client.
- gmake clean_srb --- clean only the SRB server and client.
- gmake util --- build only the utilities (S commands). See README.utilities for more details.
- gmake clean_util --- clean only the utilities.
- gmake browser - build only the java srbBrowser GUI. See README.srbBrowser for more details.
- gmake clean_browser - clean only the java srbBrowser.
4) (Optional) Type in "gmake install" to install the software in the $(installDir) directory. This procedure installs the following modules in the $(installDir) directory:
bin/runsrb - The script that starts the SRB
bin/srbMaster2_0_0 - The frontend server.
bin/srbServer - The backend server (forked by the srbMaster1_0 for each client connection).
bin/libSrbClient.a - The client library.
data/hostAuthConfig - The optional (needed only if HOST_BASED_AUTH in the mk.config file is set) host based authorization configuration file.
data/mcatHost - This file identifies the host on which the MCAT enabled SRB server is running.
data/hostConfig - This is the optional SRB host configuration file. It is only needed when when you want to add aliases to your local hostName.
data/hpssCosConfig - This is the optional HPSS Class of Services configuration file. It is only needed if HPSS in the mk.config file is set.
data/hpssNodceAuth - The file contains authentication info for non-dce HPSS. It is only needed if the HPSS and NO_DCE flags in the mk.config file are set.
data/MdasConfig - The MDAS configuration file.
data/metadata.fkrel - This file defines the foreign key relationship between the MDAS catalog tables and is used internally by the SRB for query generation. This file should not be changed between releases.
data/LobjConfig - The database configuration file for the DB Large Object driver. Basically, it contains the userID and password for accessing each database server.
What's New in This Release:
Three vulnerabilities that allow SRB users to read/write non-Vault files that are readable/writable by the the srbadmin user were fixed.
A bug that causes the GridFTP driver to use the wrong credential to connect to GridFtp server was fixed.
A file descriptor lock bug was fixed.
Uploading files larger than 2 gigabytes into GridFtp resources now works.
Timeout bugs that could arise when sending large numbers of files were fixed.
A core dump problem for HPSS type resources involving parallel I/O on Linux servers was fixed.
A new option -o was added to show collection ownership in SgetColl.
Storage Resource Broker 3.4.2 keywords