FENCE_NODE(8) cluster FENCE_NODE(8)
NAME
fence_node - a utility to run fence agents
SYNOPSIS
fence_node [OPTIONS] nodename
DESCRIPTION
This utility runs a fence agent against nodename. The agent and args are taken from the running cluster configuration based on clus-
ter.conf(5).
fence_node is a wrapper around the libfence functions: fence_node() and unfence_node(). These libfence functions use libccs to read the
node fencing configuration, which means that corosync (with cman and ccs) must be running to use fence_node(8).
The fenced(8) daemon is the main user of libfence:fence_node(), and the configuration details for that function are given in the fenced(8)
man page.
Fencing vs. Unfencing
The main use for unfencing is with storage/SAN (non-power) agents.
When using power-based fencing agents, the fencing action itself is supposed to turn a node back on after first turning the power off (this
happens automatically with a "reboot" action, and needs to be configured explicitly as "off" + "on" otherwise.)
When using storage-based fencing agents, the fencing action is not allowed to re-enable a node after disabling it. Re-enabling a fenced
node is only safe once the node has been rebooted. A natural way to re-enable a fenced node's access to storage, is for that node to re-
enable the access itself during its startup process. The cman init script calls fence_node -U (nodename defaults to local nodename when
unfencing). Unfencing a node without an <unfence> configuration (see below) is a no-op.
The basic differences between fencing and unfencing:
Fencing
1. libfence: fence_node(), command line: fence_node nodename
2. Turns off or disables a node.
3. Agents run with the default action of "off", "disable" or "reboot".
4. Performed by a cluster node against another node that fails (by the fenced daemon).
Unfencing
1. libfence: unfence_node(), command line: fence_node -U nodename
2. Turns on or enables a node.
3. Agents run with the explicit action of "on" or "enable".
4. Performed by a cluster node "against" itself during startup (by the cman init script).
OPTIONS
-U Unfence the node, default local node name.
-v Show fence agent results, -vv to also show agent args.
-h Print a help message describing available options, then exit.
-V Print program version information, then exit.
FILES
The Unfencing/unfence_node() configuration is very similar to the Fencing/fence_node() configuration shown in fenced(8). Unfencing is only
performed for a node with an <unfence> section:
<clusternode name="node1" nodeid="1">
<fence>
</fence>
<unfence>
</unfence>
</clusternode>
The <unfence> section does not contain <method> sections like the <fence> section does. It contains <device> references directly, which
mirror the corresponding device sections for <fence>, with the notable addition of the explicit action of "on" or "enable". The same
<fencedevice> is referenced by both fence and unfence <device> lines, and the same per-node args should be repeated.
<clusternode name="node1" nodeid="1">
<fence>
<method name="1">
<device name="myswitch" foo="x"/>
</method>
</fence>
<unfence>
<device name="myswitch" foo="x" action="on"/>
</unfence>
</clusternode>
SEE ALSO
fenced(8)
cluster 2009-12-21 FENCE_NODE(8)