Hardware recommendations
To ensure optimal performance and reliability of your MooseFS deployment, it's important to carefully consider the hardware specifications of the machines involved. This chapter outlines the necessary and recommended hardware configurations for each key component of the MooseFS, including the Master Server, Chunkservers, and Clients. By following these guidelines, you can create a robust infrastructure capable of handling your storage needs efficiently, while ensuring scalability and fault tolerance.
Minimum Number of Servers
The minimum required setup for a functional MooseFS cluster consists of the following:
- 1 Master Server – Responsible for managing metadata and coordinating the overall operation of the file system.
- 2 Chunkservers – Store the actual file data in chunks. Having at least two allows for data replication, which is essential for fault tolerance and data integrity.
- 1 Client machine – Needed to mount and interact with the MooseFS file system.
While it's possible to test MooseFS with fewer machines in a non-replicated, single-node configuration, such setups are not recommended for production use. A proper minimal setup with one Master and two Chunkservers ensures that the system can maintain availability and replicate data safely.
To enhance reliability, you may also consider adding a Metalogger, which continuously backs up metadata from the Master and can assist in recovery if the Master fails.
PRO version
In the MooseFS PRO version, it is strongly recommended to deploy at least two Master Servers in a high-availability (HA) configuration with at least three Chunkservers. This ensures continuous operation even if the active Master Server goes down, as the system can automatically fail over to a backup Master, minimizing downtime and risk of data unavailability. For more details, see High Availability Setup.