nfs-ganesha with Linux containers

I have nfs-ganesha [1.5.1] with FSAL_VFS running on Linux 3.7.0-rc8 on an x86_64 RHEL6.2 system (the "host"). I can export the filesystems and mount from another system.

I am trying to use nfs-Ganesha from within a Linux container on the same system.

My container setup:

On the REHL6.2 host, I have a directory, /export/vm1-root.

The root of my linux container is bind mounted to that directory So a file '/export/vm1-root/foobar' is known to the container as '/foobar' and other files/directories in '/export' are not visible from the container.

[ie it is as if the processes inside the containers have run 'chroot' into /export/vm1-root and can't escape out of this].

I am now trying to export a directory, '/vm1gfs0' from within the container to the external world. (on the host, this directory is /export/vm1-root/vm1gfs).

I have nfs-ganesha* rpms installed and /etc/ganesha/vfs.ganesha.exports.conf properly configured to export '/vm1gfs0' from within the container.

When I try to start the vfs-ganesha service from within the container:

	$ /etc/init.d/nfs-ganesha-vfs start

I get the following errors in the log file:

------
12/02/2013 15:01:20 epoch=1360710080 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1015[main ] :COMMON_InitClientContext :FSAL: FULLDEBUG: FSAL_InitClientContext returns (ER R_FSAL_NO_ERROR, No error, 0)
12/02/2013 15:01:20 epoch=1360710080 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1015[main ] :VFSFSAL_BuildExportContext :FSAL: CRITICAL ERROR: No mount entry matches '/ex port/vm1gfs0' in /etc/mtab
12/02/2013 15:01:20 epoch=1360710080 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1015[main ] :VFSFSAL_BuildExportContext :FSAL: DEBUG: FSAL_BuildExportContext returns (ERR _FSAL_NOENT, No such file or directory, 0)
12/02/2013 15:01:20 epoch=1360710080 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1015[main ] :nfs_export_create_root_entry :NFS STARTUP: CRITICAL ERROR: Couldn't build exp ort context for /vm1gfs0
12/02/2013 15:01:20 epoch=1360710080 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1015[main ] :nfs_Init :NFS STARTUP: FATAL ERROR: Error initializing Cache Inode root entri es

--------

Inside the linux container, there is no entry in /etc/mtab for the container's root filesystem.

Is nfs-Ganesha trying to find the path all the way back to the root of the filesystem (which the linux container is unable to get to) ?

Faking an mtab entry with:

	$ mount -o bind / /

gives a slightly different error:

---------

12/02/2013 15:42:05 epoch=1360712525 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1113[main ] :COMMON_GetClientContext :FSAL: FULLDEBUG: FSAL_GetClientContext returns (ERR_ FSAL_NO_ERROR, No error, 0)
12/02/2013 15:42:05 epoch=1360712525 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1113[main ] :fsal_internal_Path2Handle :FSAL: FULLDEBUG: Lookup handle for /vm1gfs0 12/02/2013 15:42:05 epoch=1360712525 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1113[main ] :VFSFSAL_lookupPath :FSAL: DEBUG: FSAL_lookupPath returns (ERR_FSAL_NOENT, No such file or directory, 2)
12/02/2013 15:42:05 epoch=1360712525 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1113[main ] :nfs_export_create_root_entry :NFS STARTUP: CRITICAL ERROR: Couldn't access th e root of the exported namespace, ExportId=77 Path=/vm1gfs0 FSAL_ERROR=(2 ,2)
12/02/2013 15:42:05 epoch=1360712525 : elm3a241-vm1 : vfs.ganesha.nfsd-1113[main ] :nfs_Init :NFS STARTUP: FATAL ERROR: Error initializing Cache Inode root entri es

---------

If a physical disk is mounted inside the container, say:

	$ mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt1

will we be able export /mnt1 from within the container or does nfs-Ganesha still need to find the actual root fs ?

In effect, can a process chroot into a directory and export a subdir using nfs-ganesha ?

Sukadev

Have you run pivot_root so you can throw away your old mounts? I don't know a thing about the nfs ganesha user space daemon but /proc/mounts should be the only way it could detect your mounts are in a container and do something odd or confusing.

Eric

Eric W. Biederman [ebiederm-aS9lmoZGLiVWk0Htik3J/[email protected]] wrote:

| Sukadev Bhattiprolu <[email protected]> writes:
| 
| > I have nfs-ganesha [1.5.1] with FSAL_VFS running on Linux 3.7.0-rc8 on
| > an x86_64 RHEL6.2 system (the "host"). I can export the filesystems and
| > mount from another system.
| >
| > I am trying to use nfs-Ganesha from within a Linux container on the same
| > system.
| >
| > My container setup:
| >
| > 	On the REHL6.2 host, I have a directory, /export/vm1-root.
| >
| > 	The root of my linux container is bind mounted to that directory 
| > 	So a file '/export/vm1-root/foobar' is known to the container as
| > 	'/foobar' and other files/directories in '/export' are not visible
| > 	from the container.
| >
| > 	[ie it is as if the processes inside the containers have run 'chroot'
| > 	into /export/vm1-root and can't escape out of this]. 
| 
| Have you run pivot_root so you can throw away your old mounts?  I don't

I used virsh/libvirt to create the container and libvirtd does the pivot_root().

| know a thing about the nfs ganesha user space daemon but /proc/mounts
| should be the only way it could detect your mounts are in a container
| and do something odd or confusing.

I had an error in the /etc/ganesha/vfs.ganesha.exports.conf. I fixed that and forced an entry for / in container's /etc/mtab. I am now able to export from the container and mount from an external host.

Sorry for the noise.

Suka