[Linux-ha-dev] Request for feedback: Checking CIBs for errors...

[Alan Robertson]

Hi,

One of the problems I've run into both personally and working with 
customers is finding errors in CIBs.  I see this kind of thing a good 
bit on the mailing list too.

So, to help with this and maybe lighten the burden on the mailing list 
and Andrew and Dejan and Lars, I wrote a command which checks for errors 
in CIB files - which will be included in 2.1.3 when that comes out.

It's called ciblint, and you can read some more about it, and see where 
to get a copy to try out here:
	http://linux-ha.org/ciblint

It is _not_ a finished product yet, but even as a work-in-progress, it 
does a number of interesting things.  It is intentionally picky - and I 
_intend_ for it to be picky in the right ways - but of course there are 
no doubt errors in it.  If there is an old way of doing something, and 
and a new-and-more-correct way, I intend for it to insist on the new 
way.  So, some things it complains about may be perfectly acceptable to 
the CRM, but are not preferred.  I'm pretty sure that some of the things 
the GUI does will fall into that category.

It can also provide you a good bit of information about the legal values 
to put in various places (-l and -A options).

Although I've learned more about the CIB while writing this script, I'm 
know I still have more to learn.

I'm looking for constructive feedback on it.  Here are a few specific 
kinds of feedback that would be especially helpful:

	- Did it find anything useful for you?

	- Do you think it's incorrect (not just pedantic) in some cases?

	- Do you have any suggestions for errors you've made or seen
		that you think it should catch?

	- What corrections do you have for any of the explanatory text
	  -- in particular from the -A option?

	- Any other constructive suggestions would be welcome.

	- Comments about how stupid I am for having something wrong
		or what an incredibly stupid idea this is
		will be cheerfully redirected to /dev/null

Sample CIBs for these various kinds of feedback would be especially 
appreciated.

It's a python script, and my current thinking for a todo list is in the 
text of the script.

It currently does a sudo to run lrmadmin to grab some metadata from the 
LRM.  That will eventually change.  [lrmadmin shouldn't require you to 
be root for the things I'm asking it to do]

-- 
     Alan Robertson <alanr at unix.sh>

"Openness is the foundation and preservative of friendship...  Let me 
claim from you at all times your undisguised opinions." - William 
Wilberforce