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| About configuring VCS clusters for data integrity | ||
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| About configuring VCS clusters for data integrity | ||
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When a node fails, VCS takes corrective action and configures its components to reflect the altered membership. If an actual node failure did not occur and if the symptoms were identical to those of a failed node, then such corrective action would cause a split-brain situation.
Some example scenarios that can cause such split-brain situations are as follows:
Broken set of private networks
If a system in a two-node cluster fails, the system stops sending heartbeats over the private interconnects. The remaining node then takes corrective action. The failure of the private interconnects, instead of the actual nodes, presents identical symptoms and causes each node to determine its peer has departed. This situation typically results in data corruption because both nodes try to take control of data storage in an uncoordinated manner
System that appears to have a system-hang
If a system is so busy that it appears to stop responding, the other nodes could declare it as dead. This declaration may also occur for the nodes that use the hardware that supports a "break" and "resume" function. When a node drops to PROM level with a break and subsequently resumes operations, the other nodes may declare the system dead. They can declare it dead even if the system later returns and begins write operations.
I/O fencing is a feature that prevents data corruption in the event of a communication breakdown in a cluster. VCS uses I/O fencing to remove the risk that is associated with split brain. I/O fencing allows write access for members of the active cluster. It blocks access to storage from non-members so that even a node that is alive is unable to cause damage.
After you install and configure VCS, you must configure I/O fencing in VCS to ensure data integrity.