added replication docs

docs/index.rst

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Contents:
    gettingstarted
    clients
    api
+   replication
 
 
 Indices and tables

docs/replication.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+Replication
+===================================
+Weed-FS can support replication. The replication is implemented not on file level, but on volume level.
+
+How to use
+###################################
+Basically, the way it works is:
+
+1. start weed master, and optionally specify the default replication type
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+  
+  ./weed master -defaultReplicationType=001
+
+2. start volume servers as this:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   ./weed volume -port=8081 -dir=/tmp/1 -max=100
+   ./weed volume -port=8082 -dir=/tmp/2 -max=100
+   ./weed volume -port=8083 -dir=/tmp/3 -max=100
+
+Submitting, Reading, Deleting files has the same steps.
+
+The meaning of replication type
+###################################
+*Note: This subject to change.*
+
++-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+|000  |no replication, just one copy                                              |
++-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+|001  |replicate once on the same rack                                            |
++-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+|010  |replicate once on a different rack in the same data center                 |
++-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+|100  |replicate once on a different data center                                  |
++-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+|200  |replicate twice on two other different data center                         |
++-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+|110  |replicate once on a different rack, and once on a different data center    |
++-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+|...  |...                                                                        |
++-----+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+
+So if the replication type is xyz
+
++-------+--------------------------------------------------------+
+|**x**  |number of replica in other data centers                 |
++-------+--------------------------------------------------------+
+|**y**  |number of replica in other racks in the same data center|
++-------+--------------------------------------------------------+
+|**z**  |number of replica in other servers in the same rack     |
++-------+--------------------------------------------------------+
+
+x,y,z each can be 0, 1, or 2. So there are 9 possible replication types, and can be easily extended. 
+Each replication type will physically create x+y+z+1 copies of volume data files.
+
+Example topology configuration 
+###################################
+
+The WeedFS master server tries to read the default topology configuration file are read from /etc/weedfs/weedfs.conf, if it exists. The topology setting to configure data center and racks file format is as this.
+
+.. code-block:: xml
+
+  <Configuration>
+    <Topology>
+      <DataCenter name="dc1">
+        <Rack name="rack1">
+          <Ip>192.168.1.1</Ip>
+        </Rack>
+      </DataCenter>
+      <DataCenter name="dc2">
+        <Rack name="rack1">
+          <Ip>192.168.1.2</Ip>
+        </Rack>
+        <Rack name="rack2">
+          <Ip>192.168.1.3</Ip>
+          <Ip>192.168.1.4</Ip>
+        </Rack>
+      </DataCenter>
+    </Topology>
+  </Configuration>
+
+Allocate File Key on specific data center
+Volume servers can start with a specific data center name.
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+  weed volume -dir=/tmp/1 -port=8080 -dataCenter=dc1
+  weed volume -dir=/tmp/2 -port=8081 -dataCenter=dc2
+
+Or the master server can determine the data center via volume server's IP address and settings in weed.conf file.
+
+Now when requesting a file key, an optional "dataCenter" parameter can limit the assigned volume to the specific data center. For example, this specify
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+  
+  http://localhost:9333/dir/assign?dataCenter=dc1