C H A P T E R  2

Understanding Lustre Networking

This chapter describes Lustre Networking (LNET) and supported networks, and includes the following sections:


2.1 Introduction to LNET

In a Lustre network, servers and clients communicate with one another using LNET, a custom networking API which abstracts away all transport-specific interaction. In turn, LNET operates with a variety of network transports through Lustre Network Drivers (LNDs).

In this design, where Lustre servers are written to communicate using an abstract network layer such as LNET, makes it easier to add support for new network types in Lustre. The knowledge of specific network types is contained in the LNDs, not spread throughout Lustre server or client code.

Key features of LNET include:

LNET is designed for complex topologies, superior routing capabilities and simplified configuration.


2.2 Supported Network Types

Lustre supports the following network types:


2.3 Important Terms

The following terms are important to understanding Lustre networking.