Mount Additional Agent Node

Video presenting adding remote agent tutorial

Mounting ZebClient Filesystem on Linux Systems

The ZebClient filesystem can be mounted on any Linux-based system, providing a versatile solution for expanding your computational cluster or facilitating file access from different machines within your network infrastructure. Utilizing this feature streamlines the process of file transfer, such as uploading data sets or retrieving computational models.

Utilization Scenarios:

  • Cluster Expansion: Enhance the capabilities of your computing cluster by integrating additional Linux machines, thereby increasing your resource pool and computational throughput.

  • Data Exchange: Facilitate the exchange of files, such as machine learning models or extensive research datasets, between workstations and high-performance computing clusters.

Optimizing Data Transfer:

When using the ZebClient filesystem, you can take full advantage of your network's bandwidth. This ensures efficient upload and download speeds, enabling:

  • Swift upload of research data to the cluster

  • Rapid retrieval of trained models to local workstations


Prerequisites

  • A ZebClient agent node is installed and is running on machine that runs zc-cli

  • Confirm that the new machine's public address is whitelisted in AWS portal or manually added


Adding a New Agent Node to the ZebClient Cluster

Expand your ZebClient Cluster by seamlessly adding a new agent node. Follow these steps to integrate the new agent node into your existing setup.

This can be performed on cloud-based nodes as well as on-premise machines as long as inter-machine connectivity is confirmed by successful ping responses between all relevant devices.

Step 1: Access ZebClient CLI and Add a Remote Agent Node

Access the ZebClient CLI, choose the option to add a remote agent node, and configure the new agent node.

 # zc-cli v2.0 # 

Your Linux distro is: ubuntu
Your Linux user is: user

Menu options:

1) Agent and server operation
2) License management
0) Exit

Choose your option: 1
 # Agent and server operations # 

Menu options:

1) Install ZebClient agent locally
2) Update ZebClient binary
3) Add a remote ZebClient agent node

0) Main menu

Choose your option: 3

Step 2: Configure the New Agent Node

Before proceeding, you will be prompted to copy the SHA key to the machine where a new agent will run to allow secure and seamless communication.

This needs to be executed by the user with permission to use the sudo command.

Example:

Before you proceed, run the following command in your new agent node:
---
START COPY HERE
cat <<EOF | tee -a ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
ssh-rsa KEY_HASH_VALUE
EOF
STOP COPY HERE
---

Once pasted you can continue on machine running zc-cli.

Enter the required information:

  • IP address of the new agent that is accessible by the machine running zc-cli: hostname

  • Username of the new agent: user Same user that was used to create the SHA key, permission to use the sudo command is required.

  • Alias for the new agent: agent1 This can be any name you desire. When deployment finishes successfully you will be able to access the remote node by using the command 'ssh <agent-alias>' from the machine used for ZebClient Start Deployment.

With the necessary data provided, you will be prompted to proceed with your ZebClient deployment:

Are you sure you want to proceed with deploying ZebClient agent on this the new node: hostname? [Y/n]

From this moment zc-cli will carry on automatically until finished.

Step 3: Verify Connectivity and Copy Files

If you press Y and proceed with the deployment zc-cli will verify connectivity and obtain the necessary files.

Ok, we will proceed...

---

# Verify connectivity

---

hostname is accessible from the management node OK!

---

# Copy files to the new agent

---

agent.env                                                                            100% 1135   733.7KB/s   00:00    
zebclient-linux-amd64                                                                100%   45MB  90.0MB/s   00:00    
zebclient-agent.service                                                              100%  325   222.8KB/s   00:00    

Next,zebclient user will be created if it doesn't exist on the new agent node and configuration will be automatically tested:

hostname is now accessible by user:user OK!

Automated Installation of the new agent on the designated machine.

# Install the new agent
Installing.....................

---

ZCFS filesystem is now up and running!
ZebClient version: v2.2-rc28
Verify ZCFS mountpoint on hostname: ZCFS:zebclient on /zcfs 

---

Add the following new agent node to /etc/hosts...
hostname agent1

---

# Check the cluster filesystem ID

This cluster filesystem ID is: d28386fd-c5bb-458e-8570-3f3825ca256d

# Detailed information of your ZebClient cluster

Checking license.....................

=== System information ===
Filesystem ID: d28386fd-c5bb-458e-8570-3f3825ca256d

=== License information ===
License source: environment variable
License type:   online
Product ID:     be81fecb-a6df-4a00-b3e8-5d9c7e30f25f
Key:            XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX

License OK.

Once finished you will be brought back to zc-cli menu.

Final Note

Congratulations! You have successfully added a new agent node to your ZebClient Cluster.

You can access the new remote agent by using the command 'ssh <agent-alias>' from the machine used for ZebClient Start Deployment.

You should be able to access your files immediately in the mount point location (/zcfs) and use it with your applications.

If you encounter any issues, refer to the troubleshooting section in the Zebware documentation or contact the Zebware support for assistance.

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