Cluster Information Program
Overview of the Cluster Information Program
1-2 Programming Client Applications
Cluster SMUX Peer Daemon and Clinfo
When clsmuxpd starts running on a cluster node, it registers with snmpd, then continually
receives cluster information from the Cluster Manager (clstrmgr). The clstrmgr is an HACMP
subsystem that monitors a cluster and initiates recovery actions if necessary. It reports on
cluster behavior so that other programs can find out if changes have occurred within the cluster
and, if necessary, respond to those changes.
Once clsmuxpd gets the cluster information, it maintains an updated topology map of the
cluster in the HACMP for AIX MIB, as it tracks events and resulting states of the cluster.
Clinfo, running on a client machine or on a cluster node, queries clsmuxpd for updated cluster
information, and gives an application access to the HACMP for AIX MIB information, through
an application programming interface.
By default, Clinfo periodically polls clsmuxpd for updated information on events (every 15
seconds). It is possible to start Clinfo with an option (-a) that enables Clinfo to receive this
information as soon as an event occurs. In this case, clsmuxpd sends trap messages when it
receives the event information from the clstrmgr. Clinfo then immediately queries clsmuxpd
for the event information instead of waiting for the next polling period.
Note: When Clinfo is started with the -a option, you cannot run NetView for
AIX or any other application that expects to receive SNMP trap
messages.
When Clinfo starts, it reads the configuration file /usr/sbin/cluster/etc/clhosts. The
information in this file lists the IP address or IP label of the service adapter of at least one node
in each cluster of interest. Clinfo searches for an active clsmuxpd process on a node, starting
at the first IP address in the clhosts file. Once it locates a clsmuxpd process, Clinfo receives
information about the topology and state of the cluster from that clsmuxpd.
If this connection is broken (the node goes down, for example), Clinfo tries to establish a
connection to another node’s clsmuxpd. (Clinfo holds cluster topology information in shared
memory on the local node, once it has received cluster information from the clsmuxpd process
with which it first established communication. Thus it knows about other nodes in the cluster.)
For Clinfo to work as expected, the clhosts file must be properly configured. On a client
machine, you must add the desired IP label or internet address of all HACMP for AIX nodes to
which Clinfo may communicate. Note that this includes nodes from any cluster accessible
through network connections.
As installed, the clhosts file on an HACMP for AIX node contains a loopback address. If Clinfo
does not succeed in communicating with a local clsmuxpd at startup, it does not get the cluster
map and therefore cannot try to connect to another clsmuxpd. For this reason, it is
recommended that you replace the loopback address with all HACMP for AIX node addresses
accessible through network connections with this node. The loopback address is provided only
as a convenience.
Note: Clinfo has a -c option that lets the snmp community be set. You must
use this option on any system where the default community (public)
has been disabled.