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Automated server configuration article

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# Network File System (NFS) – A Server Configuration Guide

This article details the configuration of a Network File System (NFS) for your MediaWiki environment. NFS allows you to share directories and files between servers over a network, which is particularly useful for centralizing storage of uploaded files, backups, and other data used by your wiki installation. This guide assumes a basic understanding of Linux server administration.

== What is NFS? ==

Network File System (NFS) is a distributed file system protocol allowing a user on a client computer to access files over a network as if they were on a local disk. This is achieved by allowing a server to share directories (exports) with clients. NFS is commonly used in Unix-like systems, including Linux, and is a valuable tool for managing data across multiple servers. It’s often preferred over alternatives like Samba (SMB/CIFS) in homogenous Unix environments due to its simplicity and performance. For more information about file systems, see [[File System Basics]].

== Benefits of Using NFS with MediaWiki ==

* '''Centralized Storage:''' Consolidate all uploaded files and backups onto a dedicated NFS server, simplifying management and backups. This is preferable to having files scattered across multiple wiki servers. See [[Backups]] for more information.
* '''Scalability:''' Easily expand storage capacity by adding more disk space to the NFS server without modifying the MediaWiki servers directly.
* '''Simplified Management:''' Manage permissions and access control centrally on the NFS server.
* '''Improved Performance:''' In some cases, NFS can provide better performance than local storage, especially with fast network connections. However, proper tuning (discussed later) is crucial. Check [[Performance Tuning]] for general wiki performance guidance.

== NFS Server Configuration ==

This section outlines the steps required to configure the NFS server. We will use a Debian/Ubuntu-based system for this example, but the general principles apply to other distributions.

=== 1. Install NFS Server ===

First, install the necessary NFS server packages:

```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nfs-kernel-server
```

=== 2. Create Shared Directory ===

Create the directory you want to share. For example, to share a directory called `/nfs/mediawiki_files`:

```bash
sudo mkdir -p /nfs/mediawiki_files
sudo chown www-data:www-data /nfs/mediawiki_files #Important: Set ownership to the web server user
sudo chmod 775 /nfs/mediawiki_files #Allow read/write/execute for owner and group, read/execute for others
```

=== 3. Configure `/etc/exports` ===

Edit the `/etc/exports` file to define which directories are shared and with what permissions. Add a line similar to the following:

```
/nfs/mediawiki_files <client_IP_address>(rw,sync,no_subtree_check,no_root_squash)
```

* `<client_IP_address>`: Replace this with the IP address of your MediaWiki server. You can also use a subnet (e.g., `192.168.1.0/24`) to allow access from multiple servers.
* `rw`: Allows read and write access.
* `sync`: Forces NFS to write changes to disk before replying to the client. This provides better data integrity, but can slightly reduce performance.
* `no_subtree_check`: Disables subtree checking, which can improve performance in some cases.
* `no_root_squash`: Allows the root user on the client to have root privileges on the shared directory. **Use with caution!** Consider `root_squash` for increased security. See [[Security Considerations]].

After editing `/etc/exports`, export the shares:

```bash
sudo exportfs -a
```

=== 4. Restart NFS Server ===

Restart the NFS server to apply the changes:

```bash
sudo systemctl restart nfs-kernel-server
```

== NFS Client Configuration ==

This section details how to configure the MediaWiki server as an NFS client.

=== 1. Install NFS Client ===

Install the NFS client packages:

```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nfs-common
```

=== 2. Create Mount Point ===

Create a directory on the MediaWiki server where the NFS share will be mounted. For example:

```bash
sudo mkdir /var/www/mediawiki/images_nfs
```

=== 3. Mount the NFS Share ===

Mount the NFS share using the `mount` command:

```bash
sudo mount <NFS_server_IP>:/nfs/mediawiki_files /var/www/mediawiki/images_nfs
```

Replace `<NFS_server_IP>` with the IP address of your NFS server.

=== 4. Configure Auto-Mount (fstab) ===

To automatically mount the NFS share on boot, add an entry to `/etc/fstab`:

```
<NFS_server_IP>:/nfs/mediawiki_files /var/www/mediawiki/images_nfs nfs defaults,auto 0 0
```

After editing `/etc/fstab`, you can mount all entries with:

```bash
sudo mount -a
```

== Technical Specifications ==

The following tables summarize key technical details for both the NFS server and client configurations.

{| class="wikitable"
! NFS Server Specifications
! Value
|-
| Operating System
| Debian 11 (Bullseye)
|-
| NFS Server Package
| nfs-kernel-server v4.1.6
|-
| Kernel Version
| 5.10.0-18-amd64
|-
| Network Interface
| eth0 (192.168.1.100)
|}

{| class="wikitable"
! NFS Client Specifications
! Value
|-
| Operating System
| Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal Fossa)
|-
| NFS Client Package
| nfs-common v1.3.4
|-
| Kernel Version
| 5.4.0-122-generic
|-
| Network Interface
| eth0 (192.168.1.101)
|}

{| class="wikitable"
! `/etc/exports` Options
! Description
|-
| rw
| Read-write access
|-
| sync
| Synchronous writes
|-
| no_subtree_check
| Disables subtree checking
|-
| no_root_squash
| Allows root access from client
|-
| root_squash
| Maps root to nobody user (more secure)
|}

== MediaWiki Configuration ==

After mounting the NFS share, you need to configure MediaWiki to use it. Edit your `LocalSettings.php` file and update the `$wgUploadDirectory` variable to point to the mount point:

```php
$wgUploadDirectory = "/var/www/mediawiki/images_nfs";
```

Remember to clear the MediaWiki cache after making this change. See [[Cache Management]].

== Security Considerations ==

* **Firewall:** Configure your firewall to allow NFS traffic (ports 111, 2049, and potentially others depending on your configuration) between the server and client. See [[Firewall Configuration]].
* **`root_squash` vs. `no_root_squash`:** Carefully consider the implications of using `no_root_squash`. It's generally recommended to use `root_squash` for increased security, especially in production environments.
* **Authentication:** NFS relies on UID/GID mapping for authentication. Ensure that user and group IDs are consistent between the server and client.
* **Network Security:** Ensure your network is secure to prevent unauthorized access to the NFS share. Consider using a VPN if accessing the share over an untrusted network. See [[Network Security]].

== Troubleshooting ==

* **Mount Errors:** Check the system logs on both the server and client for error messages. Use the `showmount -e <NFS_server_IP>` command on the client to verify that the share is being exported correctly.
* **Permission Issues:** Ensure that the web server user on the MediaWiki server has appropriate permissions to read and write to the mounted directory.
* **Performance Problems:** Monitor network traffic and disk I/O on both the server and client to identify bottlenecks. Consider tuning the NFS options (e.g., using `async` instead of `sync` if data integrity is not a critical concern).

[[Main Page]]
[[Configuration]]
[[Security]]
[[Performance Tuning]]
[[Backups]]
[[File System Basics]]
[[Cache Management]]
[[Firewall Configuration]]
[[Network Security]]
[[LocalSettings.php]]
[[Troubleshooting]]
[[Server Administration]]
[[User Management]]
[[Database Configuration]]
[[Web Server Configuration]]
[[System Logs]]
[[Linux Basics]]

[[Category:Server Hardware]]

== Intel-Based Server Configurations ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Configuration
! Specifications
! Benchmark
|-
| [[Core i7-6700K/7700 Server]]
| 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB
| CPU Benchmark: 8046
|-
| [[Core i7-8700 Server]]
| 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB
| CPU Benchmark: 13124
|-
| [[Core i9-9900K Server]]
| 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB
| CPU Benchmark: 49969
|-
| [[Core i9-13900 Server (64GB)]]
| 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
|
|-
| [[Core i9-13900 Server (128GB)]]
| 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
|
|-
| [[Core i5-13500 Server (64GB)]]
| 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
|
|-
| [[Core i5-13500 Server (128GB)]]
| 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
|
|-
| [[Core i5-13500 Workstation]]
| 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000
|
|}

== AMD-Based Server Configurations ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Configuration
! Specifications
! Benchmark
|-
| [[Ryzen 5 3600 Server]]
| 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 17849
|-
| [[Ryzen 7 7700 Server]]
| 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 35224
|-
| [[Ryzen 9 5950X Server]]
| 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 46045
|-
| [[Ryzen 9 7950X Server]]
| 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 63561
|-
| [[EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB)]]
| 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 48021
|-
| [[EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB)]]
| 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 48021
|-
| [[EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB)]]
| 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 48021
|-
| [[EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB)]]
| 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 48021
|-
| [[EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB)]]
| 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe
| CPU Benchmark: 48021
|-
| [[EPYC 9454P Server]]
| 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe
|
|}

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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️

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Admin: Automated server configuration article