How to create storage cluster for GlusterFS

Being a distributed filesystem, Gluster requires multiple servers to work. A Gluster filesystem is first achieved by creating a cluster of servers called Trusted Server Pool.

These servers need to have GlusterFS server package installed and configured before joining together. You can configure the Trusted Server Pool for GlusterFS from the terminal using the gluster tool.

1. Install glusterfs on all server nodes.

   Related: How to install GlusterFS on Ubuntu or Debian
   Related: How to install GlusterFS on CentOS, Red Hat or Fedora

2. Launch terminal.
3. Open /etc/hosts file on all nodes using your preferred text editor.

   $ sudo vi /etc/hosts
   [sudo] password for user:

4. Add static DNS name and optionally alias for all cluster nodes.

   #IP               Name                   Alias
   192.168.111.70    node1.gluster.local    node1
   192.168.111.71    node2.gluster.local    node2

5. Ping each nodes for all node to test if configuration is successful and nodes are reachable via network.

   $ ping -c3 node1
   PING node1.gluster.local (192.168.111.70) 56(84) bytes of data.
   64 bytes from node1.gluster.local (192.168.111.70): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.018 ms
   64 bytes from node1.gluster.local (192.168.111.70): icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.020 ms
   64 bytes from node1.gluster.local (192.168.111.70): icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.035 ms
   
   --- node1.gluster.local ping statistics ---
   3 packets transmitted, 3 received, 0% packet loss, time 2029ms
   rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.018/0.024/0.035/0.007 ms
   $ ping -c3 node2.gluster.local
   PING node2.gluster.local (192.168.111.71) 56(84) bytes of data.
   64 bytes from node2.gluster.local (192.168.111.71): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=1.72 ms
   64 bytes from node2.gluster.local (192.168.111.71): icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.626 ms
   64 bytes from node2.gluster.local (192.168.111.71): icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.410 ms
   
   --- node2.gluster.local ping statistics ---
   3 packets transmitted, 3 received, 0% packet loss, time 2015ms
   rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.410/0.919/1.722/0.574 ms

6. Create a Trusted Pool (Storage Cluster) from the first node by probing for all the other nodes.

   $ sudo gluster peer probe node2
   peer probe: success.

7. Check if peers were successfully added from any node.

   $ sudo gluster peer status
   Number of Peers: 1
   
   Hostname: node2
   Uuid: 6770f88c-9ec5-4cf8-b9f5-658fa17b6bdc
   State: Peer in Cluster (Connected)

8. Check Trusted Pool status from any node.

   $ sudo gluster pool list
   UUID					Hostname 	State
   6770f88c-9ec5-4cf8-b9f5-658fa17b6bdc	node2    	Connected 
   bca7490b-64c2-46d1-ae9a-4577cc03625f	localhost	Connected