Keepalived是一个免费开源的，用C编写的类似于layer3, 4 & 7交换机制软件，具备我们平时说的第3层、第4层和第7层交换机的功能。主要提供loadbalancing（负载均衡）和 high-availability（高可用）功能，负载均衡实现需要依赖Linux的虚拟服务内核模块（ipvs），而高可用是通过VRRP协议实现多台机器之间的故障转移服务。
上图是Keepalived的功能体系结构，大致分两层：用户空间（user space）和内核空间（kernel space）。
内核空间：主要包括IPVS（IP虚拟服务器，用于实现网络服务的负载均衡）和NETLINK（提供高级路由及其他相关的网络功能）两个部份。
用户空间：
WatchDog：负载监控checkers和VRRP进程的状况
VRRP Stack：负载负载均衡器之间的失败切换FailOver，如果只用一个负载均稀器，则VRRP不是必须的。
Checkers：负责真实服务器的健康检查healthchecking，是keepalived最主要的功能。换言之，可以没有VRRP Stack，但健康检查healthchecking是一定要有的。
IPVS wrapper：用户发送设定的规则到内核ipvs代码
Netlink Reflector：用来设定vrrp的vip地址等。
Keepalived的所有功能是配置keepalived.conf文件来实现的。
二、安装与配置从官网下载keepalived的最新版本，本文以当前最新版本1.2.24为例。
2.1 安装 shell> cd /usr/local/src shell> wget http://www.keepalived.org/software/keepalived-1.2.24.tar.gz shell> tar -zxvf keepalived-1.2.24.tar.gz shell> cd keepalived-1.2.24 shell> ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/keepalived shell> make && make install 2.2 配置安装完成后，进入安装目录的etc目录下，将keepalived相应的配置文件拷贝到系统相应的目录当中。keepalived启动时会从/etc/keepalived目录下查找keepalived.conf配置文件，如果没有找到则使用默认的配置。/etc/keepalived目录安装时默认是没有安装的，需要手动创建。配置文件目录结构如下所示：
shell> tree -l /usr/local/keepalived/etc -- keepalived | |-- keepalived.conf | `-- samples | |-- keepalived.conf.status_code | |-- keepalived.conf.track_interface | |-- keepalived.conf.vrrp | |-- 。。。 |-- rc.d | `-- init.d | `-- keepalived `-- sysconfig `-- keepalived分别对应系统目录（忽略samples目录）：
/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf /etc/rc.d/init.d/keepalived /etc/sysconfig/keepalived将配置文件拷贝到系统对应的目录下：
shell> mkdir /etc/keepalived shell> cp /usr/local/keepalived/etc/keepalived.conf /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf shell> cp /usr/local/keepalived/etc/rc.d/init.d/keepalived /etc/rc.d/init.d/keepalived shell> cp /usr/local/keepalived/etc/sysconfig/keepalived /etc/sysconfig/keepalived设置keepalived服务开机启动：
shell> chkconfig keepalived on shell> service keepalived start #启动服务 shell> service keepalived stop #停止服务 shell> service keepalived restart #重启服务另外需要注意的一点是，keepalived启动时不会检查配置文件的语法是否正确，所以我们在编写配置文件时要特别小心，别写错了，否则会出现一些意想不到的现象。
使用service keepalived start命令启动服务时，默认会将/etc/sysconfig/keepalived文件中KEEPALIVED_OPTIONS参数作为keepalived服务启动时的参数，并从/etc/keepalived/目录下加载keepalived.conf配置文件，或用-f参数指定配置文件的位置。
# Options for keepalived. See `keepalived --help' output and keepalived(8) and # keepalived.conf(5) man pages for a list of all options. Here are the most # common ones : # # --vrrp -P Only run with VRRP subsystem. # --check -C Only run with Health-checker subsystem. # --dont-release-vrrp -V Dont remove VRRP VIPs & VROUTEs on daemon stop. # --dont-release-ipvs -I Dont remove IPVS topology on daemon stop. # --dump-conf -d Dump the configuration data. # --log-detail -D Detailed log messages.日志默认输出在/var/log/message文件中 # --log-facility -S 0-7 Set local syslog facility (default=LOG_DAEMON) # KEEPALIVED_OPTIONS="-D"