Read-only LFC replica check list

This page is aimed to help you setting up a read-only LFC replica server for LHCb.

Check list

Oracle DB

Oracle needs to be available at your site.

Enable Streams

You need to setup Oracle Streams at your site to receive the data coming from CERN.

Check the documents provided by Eva Da Fonte Perez.

LFC machine

Dedicate a machine to the LFC service. See What kind of machine for the minimal requirements.

The LFC server is a read-only replica of the CERN primary LFC server, used by LHCb for failover. Thus, there is no need for redundancy (i.e. several LFC servers with DNS load-balancing).

LFC installation

Pre-requisites

The LFC installation via YAIM will not work unless:

• oracle-instantclient-basic and oracle-instantclient-sqlplus are installed on the LFC machine.

     $ rpm -qa | grep oracle

NOTE: you don't need oracle-instantclient-jdbc and can safely ignore the corresponding warning in YAIM.

• The Oracle library path appears in /etc/ld.so.conf and /sbin/ldconfig has been run.

     $ grep oracle /etc/ld.so.conf
     /usr/lib/oracle/10.2.0.1/client/lib

     $ /sbin/ldconfig

• If your Oracle version is different from 10.2.0.1, you need to change it in /etc/sysconfig/lfcdaemon (after creating it):

     $ cp /etc/sysconfig/lfcdaemon.templ /etc/sysconfig/lfcdaemon

     $ grep oracle /etc/sysconfig/lfcdaemon
     ...
     # - Oracle Home :
     export ORACLE_HOME=/usr/lib/oracle/10.1.0.4/client

• A tnsnames.ora file containing the LFC database description should be present under /etc or /home/lfcmgr/.tnsadmin. It can be any other directory provided it is defined in /etc/sysconfig/lfcdaemon uncommented:

     $ more /etc/sysconfig/lfcdaemon
     ...
     # - Directory where tnsnames.ora resides :
     export TNS_ADMIN=/another/directory

• Your LFC should be started as read-only, thus you need to change the /etc/sysconfig/lfcdameon file:

     $ grep READONLY /etc/sysconfig/lfcdaemon
     ...
     RUN_READONLY="yes"

Installation via YAIM

Check the YAIM guide

LFC Admin Guide

To become familiar with LFC service, Tier-1 administrators are encouraged to read the LFC admin guide

These slides might also be helpful

The important part is to start the LFC server as read-only

For help with the LFC server installation, please contact the LFC support team

Open ports

Ports 5010, 8085 and 2170 need to be open to the outside world. See this section of the LFC admin guide.

Test the LFC

• Test that the LHCb data has actually been replicated to your site and is visible in the LFC:

$ lfc-ls /grid/lhcb
SAM
SFT
blouw
cnaf-stress
data
...

• Test that the server has been started in read-only mode:

$ lfc-mkdir /grid/lhcb/hello
cannot create /grid/lhcb/hello: Read-only file system

• Contact Roberto Santinelli to test your freshly installed LFC server. He will be able to test your installation as a member of the LHCb VO.

-- SophieLemaitre - 14 Sep 2007