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MySQL 3.23, 4.0, 4.1 Reference Manual :: 15 MySQL Cluster :: 15.3 Simple Multi-Computer How-To
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15.3.1 Hardware, Software, and Networking »
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15.3. Simple Multi-Computer How-To

15.3.1. Hardware, Software, and Networking
15.3.2. Multi-Computer Installation
15.3.3. Multi-Computer Configuration
15.3.4. Initial Startup
15.3.5. Loading Sample Data and Performing Queries
15.3.6. Safe Shutdown and Restart

This section is a “How-To” that describes the basics for how to plan, install, configure, and run a MySQL Cluster. Whereas the examples in Section 15.4, “MySQL Cluster Configuration” provide more in-depth information on a variety of clustering options and configuration, the result of following the guidelines and procedures outlined here should be a usable MySQL Cluster which meets the minimum requirements for availability and safeguarding of data.

This section covers hardware and software requirements; networking issues; installation of MySQL Cluster; configuration issues; starting, stopping, and restarting the cluster; loading of a sample database; and performing queries.

Basic Assumptions

This How-To makes the following assumptions:

  1. The cluster setup has four nodes, each on a separate host, and each with a fixed network address on a typical Ethernet as shown here:

    Node IP Address
    Management (MGM) node 192.168.0.10
    MySQL server (SQL) node 192.168.0.20
    Data (NDBD) node "A" 192.168.0.30
    Data (NDBD) node "B" 192.168.0.40

    This may be made clearer in the following diagram:

    MySQL Cluster Multi-Computer Setup

    Note: In the interest of simplicity (and reliability), this How-To uses only numeric IP addresses. However, if DNS resolution is available on your network, it is possible to use hostnames in lieu of IP addresses in configuring Cluster. Alternatively, you can use the /etc/hosts file or your operating system's equivalent for providing a means to do host lookup if such is available.

  2. Each host in our scenario is an Intel-based desktop PC running a common, generic Linux distribution installed to disk in a standard configuration, and running no unnecessary services. The core OS with standard TCP/IP networking capabilities should be sufficient. Also for the sake of simplicity, we also assume that the filesystems on all hosts are set up identically. In the event that they are not, you will need to adapt these instructions accordingly.

  3. Standard 100 Mbps or 1 gigabit Ethernet cards are installed on each machine, along with the proper drivers for the cards, and that all four hosts are connected via a standard-issue Ethernet networking appliance such as a switch. (All machines should use network cards with the same throughout. That is, all four machines in the cluster should have 100 Mbps cards or all four machines should have 1 Gbps cards.) MySQL Cluster will work in a 100 Mbps network; however, gigabit Ethernet will provide better performance.

    Note that MySQL Cluster is not intended for use in a network for which throughput is less than 100 Mbps. For this reason (among others), attempting to run a MySQL Cluster over a public network such as the Internet is not likely to be successful, and is not recommended.

  4. For our sample data, we will use the world database which is available for download from the MySQL AB Web site. As this database takes up a relatively small amount of space, we assume that each machine has 256MB RAM, which should be sufficient for running the operating system, host NDB process, and (for the data nodes) for storing the database.

Although we refer to a Linux operating system in this How-To, the instructions and procedures that we provide here should be easily adaptable to other supported operating systems. We also assume that you already know how to perform a minimal installation and configuration of the operating system with networking capability, or that you are able to obtain assistance in this elsewhere if needed.

We discuss MySQL Cluster hardware, software, and networking requirements in somewhat greater detail in the next section. (See Section 15.3.1, “Hardware, Software, and Networking”.)