[HDFS-6353] Check and make checkpoint before stopping the NameNode

• Type: Sub-task
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Fix Version/s: 3.0.0-alpha1
• Component/s: namenode
• Hadoop Flags: Incompatible change, Reviewed
• Release Note: Stopping the namenode on secure systems now requires the user be authenticated.
• Assignee: Jing Zhao
• Reporter: Suresh Srinivas
• Created: 07/May/14 18:52
• Updated: 12/May/16 18:14
• Resolved: 25/Mar/15 18:19

Description

One of the failure patterns I have seen is, in some rare circumstances, due to some inconsistency the secondary or standby fails to consume editlog. The only solution when this happens is to save the namespace at the current active namenode. But sometimes when this happens, unsuspecting admin might end up restarting the namenode, requiring more complicated solution to the problem (such as ignore editlog record that cannot be consumed etc.).

How about adding the following functionality:
When checkpointer (standby or secondary) fails to consume editlog, based on a configurable flag (on/off) to let the active namenode know about this failure. Active namenode can enters safemode and saves namespace. When in this type of safemode, namenode UI also shows information about checkpoint failure and that it is saving namespace. Once the namespace is saved, namenode can come out of safemode.

This means service unavailability (even in HA cluster). But it might be worth it to avoid long startup times or need for other manual fixes. Thoughts?

Issue Links

• relates to: HDFS-8003 hdfs has 3 new shellcheck warnings and the related code change is questionable
• relates to: HDFS-7991 Allow users to skip checkpoint when stopping NameNode