Using GlusterFS client / server on the same machine

Unlike Lustre (stated in its readme), GlusterFS can run server and cilent on the same machine.
It's even simpler because there's only one machine to setup.

I'm using HP z620 with CentOS 6.3, hostname "hydro1", with 2 Drobo S (4 volumes total).

The software install is simple as:
Download the glusterfs repo file into /etc/yum.repos.d
yum install glusterfs glusterfs-server glusterfs-fuse

Start the glusterd service:
service glusterd start
chkconfig glusterd on (to make it auto-start during boot)

In my case the bricks are mounted at /bricks/1~4, ext3 format.

Issue the command to create and start the GlusterFS volume "drobo":

gluster volume create drobo hydro1:/bricks/1 hydro1:/bricks/2 hydro1:/bricks/3 hydro1:/bricks/4
gluster volume start drobo

Note that although we're using the local machine for bricks, the command do not accept "localhost" as brick prefix.

The rest's simple:
mount  hydro1:drobo /data -t glusterfs

You can also use NFS client to mount, but be sure to install and start NFS-related services (rpcbind, nfslock, etc.) before the glusterd starts.