[Linux-cluster] choosing the right setup

[Alexander Opitz]

Hi,

I've a problem and I don't know how I should setup this, I hope someone can 
help me.

I've 2 standard PC's with IDE they should work together in a nodegroupe (later 
there should a 3rd pc added).

On both should run MaxDB first as primary and on the other as Hot Standby.

For this I need a shared partition (the primary writes in a file and the hot 
standby reads it and updates his own database).

I've no SAN or other storage device only the IDE hard drives in both pc's.

How I can have this shared partition on both computers?

DRBD can do this, but the partition in the second computer can't access the 
drive while it is secondary so the database can only be updated after 
failover, but this needs to much time then.

GNBD only exports a block device from the other computer, but if the secondary 
fails while it is in standby the first computer can't write the file.

ODR is only in draft2 since some years and I don't found something better.

The mirroring of GFS seems to be in work/progress ... I found no documentation 
for it.

My solution would be using local partition and a GNBD exported one and set 
over it software raid (md device) and on top GFS ... but I think that can put 
me in trouble while rebuild.

Any ideas?

Thanks Alexander Opitz//