RE: [cobalt-users] failover / staqware

["Andy Brown" <andy.brown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Does this not provide the necessary patch to the Kernel?
> 
> Update Kernel to version C28. 
> http://emea.cobalt.com/support/download/staqwareraq3.html
> 
> http://www.cobalt-training.com
> 
> >  > Can you still get staqware ?
> >
> >
> >Hi Vincent,
> >
> >>From experience I'd avoid Staqware at ALL costs. We 
> installed it for 
> >>one
> >customers Raq3i and regret it very much so, and it will be 
> costing us 
> >shortly.
> >
> >Staqware DOES NOT allow kernel upgrades or patches to be installed 
> >after a certain point as it breaks the system. Therefore Cobalt 
> >recommends not to install the security patches!!
> >
> >Included is the email reply I had from them on the matter:
> >
> >------cut-------
> >The OS Update 4.0 package contains a kernel patch that will 
> break down 
> >Staqware functionality. so we strongly advise against 
> installing this 
> >patch. At this moment, unfortunately, there is no solution 
> for this and 
> >since it involves a RaQ3, there will be no solution for 
> this.  Due to 
> >these kernel problems (and other problems with Staqware) we 
> currently 
> >do not sell this product anymore.
> >------cut-------
> >
> >
> >Unfortunately we need data synchronisation features also, so 
> we cannot 
> >use a simpler solution. You may be as well to do the following:
> >
> >Setup two RAQs with same data, and setup them BOTH with the same 
> >primary IP addresses, and setup the secondary NICs with different IP 
> >addresses on your internal network (obviously this doesn't 
> work if you 
> >don't have your own datacentre with local IP) Then login on 
> the local 
> >NICs and take down their external interface (ifconfig eth0 down)
> >Then all you do is write a script that does a ping test on 
> each machine,
> >and if a failure happens then bring the interface back up 
> (ifconfig eth0
> >up)
> >
> >Sorry to be brief! If you want more info, drop me a line!
> >
> >
> >Regards,



It was looking very hopefull as I applied it to our Staqware cluster,
however the problem is that all updates after a certain point require
the OS upgrade 4, which that upgrade is not, so they still continue to
fail, and I don't want to try the OS upgrade.

The problem lies in the Kernel. Staqware makes a change to the kernel
when its installed, and it is that functionality that must be kept. OS
upgrades that include kernel updates or patches will cause the Staqware
to break-down as per their official letter to me.


Unfortunately I still recommend against Staqware, due to these problems
as I am increasingly concerned about my Raq that runs Staqware, which is
now a target for hackers to have a go at, since it has so many
vulnerabilities that CANNOT be corrected.

I am very disappointed with SUN microsystems here, as they like to
promote their security abilities at many exhibitions and media
conferences, yet here they are basically telling me I cannot run a
secure machine because its old and they don't want to support it.


Sorry to have a dim view, overall I'm impressed with the Raqs and have
just bought another Raq4i, however we still need a good clustering
solution (My previous home-made version is lacking when it comes to
database synchronisation and mail sync which is what I desparately
need).

Regards,

Andy Brown
http://ineedlinux.info/
andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx