How to Install DRBD on NetBSD

This tutorial will guide you through the installation process of DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Device) on NetBSD operating system. DRBD allows you to replicate block devices over a network to have redundant storage solutions.

Prerequisites

Before we proceed to install DRBD, make sure you have the following:

• A NetBSD machine with root access.
• A working internet connection.
• Basic command-line knowledge.

Step 1 - Install Dependencies

First, we need to install the necessary dependencies required for DRBD. Run the following command to install the required packages:

$ pkg_add gmake flex bison p5-DBD-Pg p5-DBI curl

Step 2 - Download and Compile DRBD

We will download the DRBD source code from the official website and compile it. Follow these steps:

1. Visit the official DRBD website http://drbd.linbit.com/ and download the latest stable version.

2. Extract the compressed file to a directory of your choice:

   $ tar -xzf drbd-9.0.26.tar.gz
   

3. Change into the DRBD source directory:

   $ cd drbd-9.0.26
   

4. Compile DRBD by running the following commands:

$ ./autogen.sh
$ ./configure
$ make
$ make install

Step 3 - Configure DRBD

Now that we have installed DRBD successfully, we need to configure it.

1. Create a new DRBD configuration file:

   $ touch /etc/drbd.conf
   

2. Open /etc/drbd.conf using your preferred text editor and add the following configuration settings:

   global {
       usage-count no;
   }
   
   common {
       net {
           protocol C;
           after-sb-0pri discard-zero-changes;
           after-sb-1pri discard-secondary;
           after-sb-2pri disconnect;
           rr-conflict disconnect;
       }
   }
   
   resource r0 {
       on node1 {
           device /dev/drbd0;
           disk /dev/sda2;
           address 192.168.1.1:7788;
           meta-disk internal;
       }
   
       on node2 {
           device /dev/drbd0;
           disk /dev/sda2;
           address 192.168.1.2:7788;
           meta-disk internal;
       }
   }
   

   Here, we define a global setting and a resource named r0. The resource is defined for two nodes (node1 and node2) with the IP addresses and disk devices specified.

   Note: Modify the resource settings according to your needs.

Step 4 - Start DRBD Service

Finally, we need to start the DRBD service:

$ /etc/rc.d/drbd start

You should now have DRBD up and running on your NetBSD machine.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have covered the installation and configuration of DRBD on NetBSD operating system. You are now ready to use DRBD to replicate block devices over a network to have redundant storage solutions.

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