[ClusterLabs] Virtual Machines with USB Dongle

[Ken Gaillot]

On 09/25/2015 01:40 PM, J. Echter wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> what would you do if you have to run a machine which needs a usb dongle
> / usb gsm modem to operate properly.
> 
> If this machine switches to another node, the usb thing doesnt move around.
> 
> Any hint on such a case?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Juergen

The approaches I'm aware of:

* Buy one for every node. Typically the most expensive approach, but
simplest and most reliable.

* Buy a USB switch with auto-switch capability. These let you connect a
USB device (or devices) to multiple computers. You'd have to test
whether the auto-switch works in your setup (they're typically marketed
for printers). The switch becomes a single point of failure.

* Use a USB-over-Ethernet device. These are generally proprietary and
become a single point of failure. You'd have to test whether the latency
is good enough for your purpose. (In this case, you could instead get a
GSM modem with built-in TCP/IP connectivity, but it would still be a
single point of failure.)

* If the device is for non-essential capabilities, manually move it
after a failover.