Operating System

The default operating system must be installed to ensure that all required packages are installed. The minimal operating system install does not contain all of the required packages, and therefore, cannot be used with LifeKeeper.

Kernel updates

In order to provide the highest level of availability for a LifeKeeper cluster, the kernel version used on a system is very important.  The table below lists each supported distribution and version with the kernel that has passed LifeKeeper certification testing.

Note: When upgrading the kernel, you may need to rerun the setup script (./setup) using the installation image. If DataKeeper fails to start after upgrading the kernel, run the setup script to install the appropriate kernel module.

Distribution/Version
Supported Version Supported Kernels

Red Hat Enterprise Linux for AMD64/EM64T

(*Some kernel versions do not support asynchronous mode. Please see Known Issues and Restrictions for details)

7
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4*
7.5*
7.6*
7.7
7.8
7.9

3.10.0-123.el7
3.10.0-229.el7
3.10.0-327.el7
3.10.0-514.el7
3.10.0-693.el7
3.10.0-862.el7
3.10.0-957.el7
3.10.0-1062.el7
3.10.0-1127.el7
3.10.0-1160.el7

Red Hat Enterprise Linux for AMD64/EM64T

(Upgrading from RHEL 7 to RHEL 8 is not supported)

*DataKeeper asynchronous mode is not supported on thin provisioned disks due to kernel issues. See Known Issues / Restrictions for more information.

8.0
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6*
8.7

4.18.0-80.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-147.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-193.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-240.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-305.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-348.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-372.9.1.eI8.x86_64*
4.18.0-425.3.1.el8.x86_64

Red Hat Enterprise Linux for AMD64/EM64T

(Upgrading from RHEL 8 to RHEL 9 is not supported)

*DataKeeper asynchronous mode is not supported on thin provisioned disks due to kernel issues. See Known Issues / Restrictions for more information.

9.0*
9.1

5.14.0-70.13.1.el9_0
5.14.0-162.6.1.el9_1

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 for x86_64

(*The kernel should be updated to 4.4.82-6.9.1 for SP3.)

12 SP1
12 SP2
12 SP3*
12 SP4
12 SP5
SLES12.0 is not supported.

3.12.49-11.1
4.4.21-69.1
4.4.82-6.9.1
4.12.14-94.41.1
4.12.14-120.1



SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 for x86_64

(*DataKeeper cannot use disks with an odd sector size.)
(*Upgrading from version SLES12 to SLES15 is not supported.)
(**For SP3, upgrade the kernel to 5.3.18-59.5)

 

15*
15 SP1
15 SP2
15 SP3**
15 SP4

4.12.14-23.1
4.12.14-195.1
5.3.18-14.1
5.3.18-59.5
5.14.21-150400.24.21.2

Oracle Linux

(*DataKeeper asynchronous mirrors are not supported on some kernels on OEL 7.4-7.6. Click here for full details.)

(**The kernel should be updated to 5.4.17-2102.202.5 for UEK6.)

7
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4*
7.5*
7.6*
7.7
7.8
7.9
UEK R3
UEK R4
UEK R5
UEK R6**

3.10.0-123.el7
3.10.0-229.el7
3.10.0-327.el7
3.10.0-514.el7
3.10.0-693.el7
3.10.0-862.el7
3.10.0-957.el7
3.10.0-1062.el7
3.10.0-1127.el7
3.10.0-1160.el7
3.8.13-16.2.1.el7uek
4.1.12-37.3.1.el7uek
4.14.35-1818.3.3.el7uek
5.4.17-2102.202.5.el7uek

Oracle Linux

(Upgrading from OEL 7 to OEL 8 is not supported.)

*DataKeeper asynchronous mode is not supported on thin provisioned disks due to kernel issues. See Known Issues / Restrictions for more information.

(**The kernel should be updated to 5.4.17-2102.202.5 for UEK6.)

(***For UEK R7, when using DataKeeper, the node would stop due to Kernel panic. See the Oracle Linux kernel (OL8U7) section in the Installation – Known Issues / Restrictions)
8.0
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6*
8.7
UEK R6**
UEK R7***
4.18.0-80.el8
4.18.0-147.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-193.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-240.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-305.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-348.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-372.9.1.eI8.x86_64*
4.18.0-425.3.1.el8.x86_64
5.4.17-2102.202.5.el8uek
5.15.0-3.60.5.1.el8uek.x86_64

Oracle Linux

(Upgrading from OEL 8 to OEL 9 is not supported.)

*DataKeeper asynchronous mode is not supported on thin provisioned disks due to kernel issues. See Known Issues / Restrictions for more information.

9.0*
9.1
UEK R7
5.14.0-70.13.1.el9_0
5.14.0-162.6.1.el9_1
5.15.0-0.30.19.el9uek

Miracle Linux

*DataKeeper asynchronous mode is not supported on thin provisioned disks due to kernel issues. See Known Issues / Restrictions for more information.

8.4
8.6*
4.18.0-305.el8
4.18.0-372.9.1.el8

Miracle Linux

(Upgrading from Miracle Linux 8 to Miracle Linux 9 is not supported.)

*DataKeeper asynchronous mode is not supported on thin provisioned disks due to kernel issues. See Known Issues / Restrictions for more information.

9.0*
5.14.0-70.13.1.el9_0

CentOS

(*DataKeeper asynchronous mirrors are not supported on some kernels on CentOS 7.4-7.6. Click here for full details.)

7
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4*
7.5*
7.6*
7.7
7.8
7.9

3.10.0-123.el7
3.10.0-229.el7
3.10.0-327.el7
3.10.0-514.el7
3.10.0-693.el7
3.10.0-862.el7
3.10.0-957.el7
3.10.0-1062.el7
3.10.0-1127.el7
3.10.0-1160.el7

CentOS

(Upgrading from CentOS 7 to CentOS 8 is not supported.)

8.0
8.1
8.2
8.3
4.18.0-80.el8
4.18.0-147.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-193.el8.x86_64
4.18.0-240.el8.x86_64

Rocky Linux

*DataKeeper asynchronous mode is not supported on thin provisioned disks due to kernel issues. See Known Issues / Restrictions for more information.

See Support Matrix for more information on restrictions.
8.4
8.5
8.6*
8.7
4.18.0-305.3.1.el8_4
4.18.0-348.el8.0.2
4.18.0-372.9.1.el8.
4.18.0-425.3.1.el8

Rocky Linux

*DataKeeper asynchronous mode is not supported on thin provisioned disks due to kernel issues. See Known Issues / Restrictions for more information.

See Support Matrix for more information on restrictions.
9.0
5.14.0-70.13.1.el9_0

 
Note:  This list of supported distributions and kernels is for LifeKeeper only. You should also determine and adhere to the supported distributions and kernels for your server and storage hardware as specified by the manufacturer.

LUN support

The Linux SCSI driver has several parameters that control which devices will be probed for Logical Units (LUNs):

  • List of devices that do not support LUNs – this list of devices are known to NOT support LUNs, so the SCSI driver will not allow the probing of these devices for LUNs.

  • List of devices that do support LUNs – this list of devices is known to support LUNs well, so always probe for LUNs.

  • Probe all LUNs on each SCSI device – if a device is not found on either list, whether to probe or not.  This parameter is configured by make config in the SCSI module section.

While most distributions (including SUSE) have the Probe all LUNs setting enabled by default, Red Hat has the setting disabled by default.  External RAID controllers that are typically used in LifeKeeper configurations to protect data are frequently configured with multiple LUNs (Logical Units).  To enable LUN support, this field must be selected and the kernel remade.

To enable Probe all LUNs without rebuilding the kernel or modules, set the variable max_scsi_luns to 255 (which will cause the scan for up to 255 LUNs).  To set the max_scsi_luns on a kernel where the scsi driver is a module (e.g. Red Hat), add the following entry to /etc/modules.conf, rebuild the initial ramdisk and reboot loading that ramdisk:

   options scsi_mod max_scsi_luns=255

To set the max_scsi_luns on a kernel where the scsi driver is compiled into the kernel (e.g. SUSE), add the following entry to /etc/lilo.conf:

   append=“max_scsi_luns=255”

Note: For some devices, scanning for 255 LUNs can have an adverse effect on boot performance (in particular devices with the BLIST_SPARSELUN defined).  The Dell PV650F is an array where this has been experienced.  To avoid this performance problem, set the max_scsi_luns to the maximum number of LUNs you have configured on your arrays such as 16 or 32.  For example,

  append=“max_scsi_luns=16”

Testing environment of channel bonding, network teaming

In LifeKeeper, we performed tests in the environment using the channel bonding or network teaming with the following settings:

  • Bonding policy in channel bonding

     + balance-rr

     + active-backup

  • Runner in network teaming

     + round-robin

     + active-backup

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