I've been spending a lot of time working to get a MySQL Cluster up and running. The docuementation leaves out a lot of critical info (or presents it in a less than optimal order). But I can mostly live with that.

However, one of the programs has confusing command line arguments. ndbd the "data node" piece of the NDB storage engine (which is all the cluster brains), cracks me up:

root@mysql1:/home/mysql/var/cluster# ../../libexec/ndbd -h
Usage: ../../libexec/ndbd [--version] [-v] [--start] [-s] [--no-nostart] [-n]
   [--deamon] [-d] [--initial] [-i] [--connect-string=constr] [-c constr]
   [--usage] [-?] The MySQL Cluster kernel
-v, --version                      Print version
-s, --start                        Start ndb immediately
-n, --no-nostart                   Don't start ndb immediately
-d, --deamon                       Start ndb as deamon
-i, --initial                      Start ndb immediately
-c constr, --connect-string=constr "nodeid=;host="

-?, --usage                        Print help

Okay, let me get this stright. There are two ways to make it start up immediately (-s and -i). But if you want it not to start immediately you'd use the poorly named --no-nostart option.

Which of those, if any, is the default if I specify none?

Beats me.

I've configured something wrong. My management node comes up fine but my first data node is decidedly unhappy. And the error it logs might as well be in ROT-13 octal.

Back to head scratching.

Once I get this working, I'll post my recipie and work to include it in the second edition of High Performance MySQL.

Update: I've got all four data nodes up and talking to the management node. Excellent. Now I need a client...

Posted by jzawodn at August 17, 2004 04:21 PM

Reader Comments
# Alden Bates said:

I'm betting the default is "Don't start at all but give an error message telling the user to use the -h option for help, but don't actually print the available command line options because that would make it easy on them".

Also, isn't it spelt "daemon"?

on August 17, 2004 05:21 PM
# Ivan Tumanov said:

"No No Start", are they using a double negative here, or warning you that its a "No No" if you use that option and your server with go belly-up, or did they just forget to rename one of the other options "Yes Yes Start"?

on August 17, 2004 06:46 PM
# Lindsey Smith said:

As someone who has recently tried to get MySQL cluster up and running (albiet only spending 10 minutes trying) I wait with anticipation for a walkthrough :P

on August 17, 2004 06:54 PM
# david said:

So thats what those YIM status messages were all about..

on August 17, 2004 09:58 PM
# Marc said:

-no-nostart? sounds like somebody has been using Cisco IOS too long.

on August 18, 2004 07:38 AM
# Jon Shoberg said:

I'd be interested to see a guide to getting mysql custing up and running. My experience so far, although short, hasn't been the best.

on August 18, 2004 10:54 AM
# Mikael Ronström said:

The help printout on -i is a bug and will be fixed
The no-nostart is also quite confusing and will
be fixed.
The documentation on
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/ndbd_command_options.html

provides a little bit more info but also here shortly
more clearity will be provided on the -i since this is only to be
used for initial start of the cluster and in rare cases of
problems and for some software upgrades.

For those wanting a quick start of a cluster try the new
documentation on
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/MySQL_Cluster_quick.html

One of the MySQL engineers were able to get the
cluster up and running in 15 minutes without
previous knowledge.

on August 20, 2004 01:00 AM
# Luke said:

jeremy,

first, I'm reading your high performance mysql book and it's awesome. second, Mikael and the mysql cluster team are just awesome...

I assume you may have found this out already...but...

when you run the ndbd process, you can run it with the -n or --no-start option and it will just start the process, but will wait to get a start command from the management node.

the -i or --initial option makes the ndbd process re-initialize its filesystem. this will lose all the data for that ndbd, but it can be recovered from the other node in its node group.

I've actually been working with a 4-node cluster for a few weeks now and would be happy to help you out...and use the mysql cluster mailing list, too...they're extremely helpful!

on August 20, 2004 05:26 AM
# erik said:

I got a free ipod, you can get one too its easy just refer 5 people.. click here
http://www.freeiPods.com/default.aspx?referer=7324644

on August 26, 2004 06:21 PM
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