High-Performance Software-Defined Storage,
Built for Enterprise
LINBIT SDS Components
Kernel Driver
Volume Manager
Graphic User Interface
LINBIT Expert 24x7 Support
Solution Use Cases
Containerization
- Kubernetes
- OpenShift
- Rancher
- MicroK8s
- Nomad
Virtualization
- Apache CloudStack
- OpenNebula
- Proxmox
- OpenStack
- oVirt
- XCP-ng
Multi-Cloud Storage
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
- IBM
Storage Gateway
- NFS
- iSCSI
- NVMe-oF
- Fibre Channel
The Fastest Way to Stand Up LINBIT SDS
Standing up LINSTOR manually means working through 16 Ansible roles across 4 collections. Our deployment tool runs those roles for you behind a guided, step-by-step setup: pick a storage backend, select devices per node, choose your targets, and deploy.
Same software, less typing
Installs standard LINSTOR, DRBD, and DRBD Reactor, configured the way LINBIT engineers would configure it
Reversible by design
Selective rollback for any phase, or reset nodes completely
PoC-friendly
Three VMs and a spare disk each is enough to see the whole thing work
The Fastest Way to Stand Up LINBIT SDS
Standing up LINSTOR manually means working through 16 Ansible roles across 4 collections. Our deployment tool runs those roles for you behind a guided, step-by-step setup: pick a storage backend, select devices per node, choose your targets, and deploy.
Same software, less typing
Installs standard LINSTOR, DRBD, and DRBD Reactor, configured the way LINBIT engineers would configure it
Reversible by design
Selective rollback for any phase, or reset nodes completely
PoC-friendly
Three VMs and a spare disk each is enough to see the whole thing work
How It Works
LINBIT SDS combines LINSTOR and DRBD open source software into a complete software-defined storage stack for high availability and scalability. It runs on standard Linux servers with NVMe, SSD, or HDD storage, and splits the work into two independent layers: a data plane and a management plane. Because they’re separate, DRBD keeps replicating even when LINSTOR services are stopped for updates or maintenance.
DRBD is the data plane
It replicates block devices synchronously at the kernel level, so every write exists on multiple nodes before it’s acknowledged. That makes it ideal for write-intensive workloads like databases and message queues.
LINSTOR is the management plane.
A controller holds the cluster configuration, while satellites on each node create and manage storage, deploying replicated volumes automatically based on your placement rules. Manage it via GUI, CLI, or REST API, or through drivers for Kubernetes, OpenStack, Proxmox, CloudStack, OpenNebula, oVirt, and more.
Node-1 is Primary. DRBD replicates every write to node-2 and node-3 before acknowledging it.
Node-1 drops. The two survivors keep quorum, and DRBD Reactor promotes node-2 and restarts the app there. No writes lost.
Node-1 rejoins as Secondary and resyncs only the blocks that changed. Node-2 stays Primary until the role is moved deliberately.
- +0.0slinstorcluster online — 3 nodes, 1 resource
- +0.4sdrbd r0node-1 Primary · node-2, node-3 Secondary
- +0.9sdrbd r0quorum 3/3 — majority held
- +1.4sdrbd r0protocol C — write acked after all replicas
Latest LINBIT SDS Feature: GUI
The Graphical User Interface simplifies multi-cluster management and complex monitoring so your team can just go back to enjoying the power of Kubernetes persistent storage. Easy to install, easy to use.
Features:
- Storage pool dashboard with per node usage
- Built-in alerts and monitoring
- Simple Navigation system
Create an Enterprise-grade Storage Platform to unify access, simplify management, while keeping open source flexibility – only with LINBIT SDS.
Containerization
Virtualization
Underlying Hardware Options
x86_64 (Intel/AMD)
Arm64
ppc64
s390x (LinuxOne)
Other
Public Cloud Storage
Features
- Open Source Software
- Geo-Clustering
- Distributed Storage
- High Availability
- Data Compression
- Snapshot Shipping
- Ultra Low Latency
- Thin Provisioning
- Remote Installation
- Tier 4 Availability
- Native RDMA InfiniBand Support
- Streamlined Configuration & Management
Technical FAQ
Is data consistency enforced in LINBIT SDS?
If you use the replication features of LINBIT SDS (DRBD), then yes. DRBD storage replication is fully synchronous by default. Volumes are RWO (read write once). Quorum and internal protocols determine whether or not a specific replica may be promoted (become RW).
Does LINBIT SDS architecture support multiple performance classes?
Yes, you can have multiple storage classes defined within LINSTOR. Each storage class could be backed by different classes of physical storage. Larger slower SSDs could make up one LINSTOR storage pool, while smaller lower latency NVMe devices could be used as another storage pool.
What platforms are supported?
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
- Oracle Linux 6.3+
(RHEL Compatible or UEK) - Ubuntu Server Edition
Find out more on our Support Page.
LINBIT SDS Support Subscriptions
Below are our subscription tiers with up to 24×7 global support services. The LINBIT engineers are perfectly trained to help your team design, deploy, and support your infrastructure. Find our open source software here.
LINBIT Starter
Includes access to our certified repositories and Community non-SLA support.
- DRBD and LINSTOR Open Source features plus:
- Tech Guide for DRBD 9 and LINSTOR + Access to LINBIT's Extensive Documentation (Open Source)
- Self-service / Community Support (Open Source)
- Repository Access
- Latest Software Updates
- Online Training Workshop
Plus
Offers the addition of unlimited support tickets and remote installation support.
- All LINBIT Starter features plus:
- Updates, Including New Features
- New Packages on Request: Next Business Day
- Annual Health Checks
- E-Mail/Phone Support
- Unlimited Support Tickets
- Remote Installation/Troubleshooting by SSH/VPN
- Failover Testing
- Emergency Support
- Initial Support Response Time: 8 Hours Maximum
- Emergency Initial Response Time: 4 Hours Maximum
Enterprise
Offers 24x7 access to our expert support with our fastest turnaround times.
- All Plus features plus:
- New Packages on Request Within 24 Hours
- RDMA License for Fast Infiniband Replication
- Performance Tuning
- Support Engineer Assigned to Your Company
- Graphical User Interface
- Remote Support / Remote Management
- Initial Support Response Time: 4 Hours Maximum
- Emergency Initial Response Time: 1 Hour Maximum
- Dedicated Account Manager Assigned to Your Company
- Mail/Phone Support: 24x7
Your open source project is mission-critical so our team is here to help. We begin most relationships with a technical consultation. Reach out to LINBIT with your questions and project goals to begin today!
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