is samba LinuxVirtualServer-able?

[Joseph Mack]

> Pre-Windows2000, Microsoft SMB filesharing uses a naming system based on
> an outdated network API called NetBIOS.  To access a service, you need to
> translate the NetBIOS name into an IP address.  Only *one* node may claim
> name at a time, thus causing a few problems if all of the servers are
> offering the same service.

OK the clients connection with a file (filehandle?) is an IP address. I assume
the IP address is on the server and this means that you can only have a number
of files open that you have spare IPs available on the network. Do I have this
right? Can you point me to somewhere for me to learn more?

> On the back end there are two approaches.  One is to somehow distribute
> the same filesystem to all of the servers. 

can handle that.

> The other way is to break the filesystem into pieces and give each piece
> to a separate server.  You would then use DFS (SMB Distributed File
> System) to distribute access to the various parts of the filesystem. 

Unless I learn something else, I'd rather not do this as part of the 
LVS is to be able to allow servers to be shutdown (for planned maintenance
mostly), so would like to have the same files available on all servers.

I'm still interested in finding out if the client can reconnect again
seamlessly to another server after client or server failure.

Thanks Joe

-- 
Joseph Mack PhD, Senior Systems Engineer, Lockheed Martin
contractor to the National Environmental Supercomputer Center, 
mailto:mack.joseph at epa.gov ph# 919-541-0007, RTP, NC, USA