Re: [SLE] SUSE 9.0, software RAID, and booting

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Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 12:46:26 -0600
To: Eric <eric@cisu.net>

Thanks for your response Eric.

The only reason I am putting swap on RAID is for software tolerance, not for
performance. I do not want any of the drives holding parts of swap to crash the
system if they go bad. I do realize that the kernel can handle swap efficiently
if I put it on multiple devices and set all to the same priority.

It looks like I will have to go with LILO instead of GRUB. No biggie, I have no
serious qualms about giving up on GRUB.

The only questions I have remaining after your response is the fact that I might
have to establish the RAID after the initial setup. As far as I understand this
process, I will basically partition and setup the system on hda, then create the
corresponding partitions on hdb, create an appropriate raiddtab file, run the
raid tools to create the mirror, update my fstab and lilo.conf and reboot. Is
this it or am I missing some glaring piece if I have to create the mirror after
I setup the initial system?

Thanks again Eric,
--Moby

Eric wrote:
> On Tuesday 23 December 2003 10:54 am, Mobeen Azhar wrote:
>
>
>>I have been running RH for some time now and am now thinking of moving to
>>SUSE. I bought the SUSE 9.0 boxed set but have some questions before I
>>start building and moving my production boxes over to SUSE from RH.
>>
>>Here is my current RH setup.
>>
>>2 IDE disks
>>
>>3 partitions on each disk. Each partition on one disk is mirrored to the
>>corresponding partition on the other disk using software raid (/dev/mdxx).
>>
>>/dev/md0 is /
>>/dev/md1 is /boot
>>/dev/md2 is swap
>
> Ditch the /dev/md2 as swap setup, it only complicates things. IMO just make
> them swap partitions on hda and hdb and have two fstab entries with the same
> priority, you will gain a small speed beinifit as there shouldnt be any great
> need to mirror swap data. The kernel will natrually stripe it for
> performance.
>
>>Also, on RH, I use GRUB to boot.
>>
>>My question is can I do the same on SUSE 9.0?
>
> Yes. You can do this.
>
>>GRUB cannot be used on SUSE if the root filesystem is on a
>>software raid partition.
>
> I dont know about grub, but I know for a fact that LILO support it. My setup
> is 3x9.4GB scsi disks. 2 partitions.
> /dev/md0 RAID 5, root
> /dev/md1 RAID 0,boot
>
>> The archives all talk about previous versions of SUSE, so I am not
>>sure whether one can boot with GRUB with the root on software RAID with
>>SUSE 9.0.
>
> Is there a specific NEED to use GRUB? Just use lilo and I can whip you up a
> conig by hand, lol. GRUB is strange and confusing to me. LILO by contrast
> seems so much simpler. Although I believe GRUB is more powerful and flexible.
>
>>If I cannot use GRUB, I am willing (really have no choice!) to use LILO.
>>My next question is can the above mentioned disk layout be achieved during
>>the initial SUSE setup? Does their installation routine provide the
>>capability to have all file systems and swap on software raid?
>
> The swap question has been answered. I dont know about the install routine,
> but you definatly can do it after install. Since you are doing mirroring it
> will be a very simple setup. My setup is more complicated with raid 5, but it
> should be a breeze for you. Here is a sample of my lilo file.
>
> boot = /dev/md1 #<---this is my /boot drive. This ABSOLUTELY MUST BE A RAID
> #MIRROR OR A SINGLE DRIVE, NO STRIPES ALLOWED.
> compact
> lba32
> vga=normal
> #message=/boot/message
> menu-scheme=Wg:kw:Wg:Wg
> read-only
> prompt
> timeout=80
> raid-extra-boot="/dev/sda,/dev/sdb,/dev/sdc" #<--- This will write the lilo
> #MBR to each disk so if one fails it can boot from another.
> disk=/dev/sda
> bios=0x81
> disk=/dev/hdc
> bios=0x80
> # You will not need the above disk mappings. Ignore them.
> image= /boot/bzImage-2.4.23-SMP
> root = /dev/md0 #<------ my / filesystem on RAID5
> label = Linux
> append = "mem=nopentium hda=ide-scsi init=/sbin/minit
> md=0,/dev/sda1,/dev/sdb1,/dev/sdc1 acpi=off"
> #The md=0 option above may be needed so the kernel can figure out how the
> #disks are ordered and mount is properly. YOu may not need this for a mirror
> #but im pretty sure its neccesary for striping
>
> Below is an approxomation of what your lilo.conf file should look like. Check
> it over though, im guessing at your setup.
>
> boot = /dev/md1
> compact
> lba32
> vga=normal
> read-only
> prompt
> timeout=80
> raid-extra-boot="/dev/hda,/dev/hdb"
> image= /boot/bzImage
> root = /dev/md0
> label = Linux
> append = "md=0,/dev/hda1,/dev/hdb1"
>
> HTH! And good luck. If you have any more questions just ask, because I am
> using almost the same setup you require. Yours is just a bit simpler ;)
> CC me in your reply, ill get back to you faster.
> -------------------------
> Eric Bambach
> Eric at cisu dot net
> -------------------------
>

-- 
--Moby
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety 
deserve neither liberty nor safety.  -- Benjamin Franklin
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a 
Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not 
a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.  --  Pastor 
Martin Niemöller
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