Mastering CockroachDB Cluster Installation on AlmaLinux 9

Learn how to install a CockroachDB cluster on AlmaLinux 9 and ensure high availability and data durability for your applications.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing a CockroachDB cluster on AlmaLinux 9. CockroachDB is an open-source distributed SQL database that offers scalability, fault-tolerance, and consistency. By setting up a cluster, you can ensure high availability and data durability for your applications.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

1. A server or virtual machine running AlmaLinux 9.
2. SSH access to the server with administrative privileges.
3. Basic knowledge of Linux command-line interface (CLI).

Step 1: Update System Packages

The first step is to update the system packages to ensure that you have the latest software versions and security patches. Open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo dnf update -y

This will update all installed packages on your AlmaLinux system.

Step 2: Install CockroachDB

To install CockroachDB on AlmaLinux 9, follow these steps:

Step 2.1: Add CockroachDB Repository Key

Firstly, import the repository key using the following command:

curl https://binaries.cockroachdb.com/cockroach-signing-key.asc | sudo apt-key add -

Step 2.2: Add CockroachDB Repository

Next, add the official CockroachDB repository by creating a new file called cockroackdb.list in /etc/yum.repos.d/. Use any text editor to create this file:

sudo nano /etc/yum.repos.d/cockroackdb.list

Paste the following lines into it:

[cockroackdb]
name=CentOS $releasever - cockroackdb-pkgs-$basearch
baseurl=https://download.cockroachdb.com/cockroackdb-pkgs/centos$releasever-$basearch/
enabled=1
gpgcheck=1

Save and close the file.

Step 2.3: Install CockroachDB

Now, you can install CockroachDB by running the following command:

sudo dnf install -y cockroachdb-21.2.4

Wait for the installation to complete.

Step 3: Configure CockroachDB Cluster

Once CockroachDB is installed, it's time to configure the cluster. Follow these steps:

Step 3.1: Create a Directory for Data Storage

Create a directory where your data will be stored using this command:

sudo mkdir /var/lib/cockroachdb

Change ownership of this directory to cockroach user:

sudo chown cockroach:cockroach /var/lib/cockroackdb

Step 3.2: Initialize the Cluster

To initialize a new CockroackDB cluster, run the following command in your terminal:

sudo -u cockroackdb cockroach init --insecure --host=localhost --port=26257

This will create an initial node on localhost with port number 26257.

Step 4: Start and Verify Cluster Status

After initializing the cluster, start it by executing this command:

sudo systemctl start cockroachd.service

To verify if your cluster is up and running successfully, use:

sudo systemctl status cockroachd.service

The output should indicate that active (running) state.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed a CockroadhDb cluster on AlmaLinux9. This setup provides scalability and fault-tolerance for your applications. You can now start utilizing CockroachDB's distributed SQL database features and explore its capabilities.