[gentoo-user] RAID on new install

[gentoo-user] RAID on new install

[James]

Hello,

I'm about to install a dual HD (mirrored) gentoo
software raid system, with BTRFS. Suggestion,
guides and documents to reference are all welcome.

I have this link, which is down as the best example:
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/RAID/Software


Additionally, I have these links for a guide:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/lvm2.xml
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86+raid+lvm2-quickinstall.xml


Any other Raid/LVM/BTRFS information I should reference?

James

Re: [gentoo-user] RAID on new install

[Mark Knecht]

On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 12:46 PM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I'm about to install a dual HD (mirrored) gentoo
> software raid system, with BTRFS. Suggestion,
> guides and documents to reference are all welcome.
>
> I have this link, which is down as the best example:
> http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/RAID/Software
>
>
> Additionally, I have these links for a guide:
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/lvm2.xml
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86+raid+lvm2-quickinstall.xml
>
>
> Any other Raid/LVM/BTRFS information I should reference?
>
> James

James,
   Depending on what you are putting onto your RAID watch carefully
what choices you make for SuperBlock type as well as being aware of
possible md name changes between the install environment and your
first real boot.

   I cannot comment on BTRFS and whether it's a good thing to use with
LVS. I've seen varying reports so if this is a learning install then
do what you want and have fun. If it's intended to be an in-service
machine ASAP then possibly look around for more info on that before
starting.

Good luck,
Mark

[gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[James]

Mark Knecht <markknecht <at> gmail.com> writes:


>    Depending on what you are putting onto your RAID watch carefully
> what choices you make for SuperBlock type as well as being aware of
> possible md name changes between the install environment and your
> first real boot.

Nice to know.


(I think I'm going to stick with ext4 for now).
(BTRFS later...) I have 2 identical 2T seagate drives.
The main purpose is to run an php and apache
server  and use kde (kiosk) to display network status 
using jffnms (graphical) and postgresql-9.

Raid 1 Mirroring for most if not all partitions.
Think of it as a station where everyone can view
the network conditions, as users, but I remote
admin the system. No logins except via the limited
kiosk  to just view/query the network, or a remote
connection to the server.


These Docs I listed are dated?
Gentoo.wiki.com is finally back up.  These
2 docs reference each other....

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Software_RAID_Install
and
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/RAID/Software

Which one is more accurate or the best one
to mostly follow? (that's what I'm trying to
figure out now.)

I do appreciate any and all feedback.


James




Which guide do you think is better, for my needs?

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[Mark Knecht]

On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 7:14 AM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> Mark Knecht <markknecht <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
>
>>    Depending on what you are putting onto your RAID watch carefully
>> what choices you make for SuperBlock type as well as being aware of
>> possible md name changes between the install environment and your
>> first real boot.
>
> Nice to know.
>
>
> (I think I'm going to stick with ext4 for now).
> (BTRFS later...) I have 2 identical 2T seagate drives.
> The main purpose is to run an php and apache
> server  and use kde (kiosk) to display network status
> using jffnms (graphical) and postgresql-9.
>
> Raid 1 Mirroring for most if not all partitions.
> Think of it as a station where everyone can view
> the network conditions, as users, but I remote
> admin the system. No logins except via the limited
> kiosk  to just view/query the network, or a remote
> connection to the server.
>
>
> These Docs I listed are dated?
> Gentoo.wiki.com is finally back up.  These
> 2 docs reference each other....
>
> http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Software_RAID_Install
> and
> http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/RAID/Software
>
> Which one is more accurate or the best one
> to mostly follow? (that's what I'm trying to
> figure out now.)
>
> I do appreciate any and all feedback.
>
>
> James
>
>
>
>
> Which guide do you think is better, for my needs?

I suspect that a 2-drive RAID1 is a good solution for you. I
personally doubt that ext4 vs ext3 will make any difference. I use
both myself. I wouldn't personally touch any new file system type when
trying to learn to do RAID. Save that for some future date.

Unfortunately neither link is responding as I write this, but my
recent (last 6 months) experience with the Gentoo RAID documents is
that none of them result in a completely working system first time
through. (Again, I cannot look at these links right now so please
excuse my not knowing about any recent changes.)

1) They are all based on the oldest SuperBlock 0.9 format which, if I
remember correctly, is not the default SuperBlock format that mdadm
creates these days.

2) I was able to build a SB-0.9 system using the same docs. I was only
able to build a working SB-1.2 by also including an initramfs:

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Initramfs

Pay special attention to note about building certain things static or
the initramfs won't work for you. Also, include all the tools you can
that will help with debugging why you cannot mount the root file
system. My experience is that you won't be able to for the first day
and you'll find the tools invaluable in getting it worked out.

3) It might be frustrating, but I'd suggest some testing of the RAID
before the actual install. Boot the install disk, build the RAID, then
learn to use mdadm examine & detail commands to understand then names
your RAIDs have. Pay attention to what the name of the machine will
eventually be. Consider renaming the RAIDs before the real Gentoo
install so that when you boot the real install it can find them.

I run RAID these days on almost all my machines. I just got a laptop
with 2 500GB hard drives which will become a 2-drive RAID1 system when
I get around to doing the work.

I hope this response is at least somewhat helpful.

Good luck,
Mark

[gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[walt]

On 03/31/2011 12:46 PM, James wrote:
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I'm about to install a dual HD (mirrored) gentoo
> software raid system, with BTRFS.

I just want to make sure you know that BTRFS is experimental and
not intended yet for use on production machines.  Otherwise, have
fun :)

[gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[James]

walt <w41ter <at> gmail.com> writes:



> > software raid system, with BTRFS.

> I just want to make sure you know that BTRFS is experimental and
> not intended yet for use on production machines.  Otherwise, have

Yea...
EXT4 or BTRFS
thats the decision.

Most of the docs look dated...


James

Re: [gentoo-user] RAID on new install

[Mark Shields]

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On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 2:46 PM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:

>
>
> Hello,
>
> I'm about to install a dual HD (mirrored) gentoo
> software raid system, with BTRFS. Suggestion,
> guides and documents to reference are all welcome.
>
> I have this link, which is down as the best example:
> http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/RAID/Software
>
>
> Additionally, I have these links for a guide:
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/lvm2.xml
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86+raid+lvm2-quickinstall.xml
>
>
> Any other Raid/LVM/BTRFS information I should reference?
>
> James
>
>
> The last guide recommends using raid0 on some partitions; everytime I use
LVM2, I use nothing but raid1 partitions.  I'd rather have the full raid1
than partial raid 1 + speed of raid0.

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[gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[James]

Mark Shields <laebshade <at> gmail.com> writes:


> The last guide recommends using raid0 on some 
> partitions; everytime I use LVM2, I use nothing 
> but raid1 partitions.  I'd rather have the full 
> raid1 than partial raid 1 + speed of raid0.


Well Raid 1 only would be keen. 
Even swap as raid 1 ?

There are actually 2 docs that cross
reference each other. See my post to 
Mark's input...

thx
James

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[Mark Knecht]

On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 7:16 AM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> Mark Shields <laebshade <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
>
>> The last guide recommends using raid0 on some
>> partitions; everytime I use LVM2, I use nothing
>> but raid1 partitions.  I'd rather have the full
>> raid1 than partial raid 1 + speed of raid0.
>
>
> Well Raid 1 only would be keen.
> Even swap as raid 1 ?
>

The kernel does it's own management of swap. If you use swap at all
I'd let the kernel manage that itself and not get in the middle with
RAID.

- Mark

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[Mark Shields]

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On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 9:16 AM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:

> Mark Shields <laebshade <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
>
> > The last guide recommends using raid0 on some
> > partitions; everytime I use LVM2, I use nothing
> > but raid1 partitions.  I'd rather have the full
> > raid1 than partial raid 1 + speed of raid0.
>
>
> Well Raid 1 only would be keen.
> Even swap as raid 1 ?
>
> There are actually 2 docs that cross
> reference each other. See my post to
> Mark's input...
>
> thx
> James
>
>
>
>
>
>
Well, no.  I don't use raid 1 with swap; I just use a separate swap
partition on each drive.  But all the other partitions, I use raid 1.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[Joost Roeleveld]

On Monday 04 April 2011 14:16:45 James wrote:
> Mark Shields <laebshade <at> gmail.com> writes:
> > The last guide recommends using raid0 on some
> > partitions; everytime I use LVM2, I use nothing
> > but raid1 partitions.  I'd rather have the full
> > raid1 than partial raid 1 + speed of raid0.
> 
> Well Raid 1 only would be keen.
> Even swap as raid 1 ?
> 
> There are actually 2 docs that cross
> reference each other. See my post to
> Mark's input...
> 
> thx
> James

On my server, I use RAID-1 for swap as well. Why risk the system crashing 
because half the swap dissappears suddenly because of a drive failure?

There actually is only 1 system that I use regularly with a RAID-0 partition. 
And that machine is only used for virtual machines I use for testing. If that 
one dies, worst that happens is I need to recreate the images. Not a big loss 
for me.

--
Joost Roeleveld

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: RAID on new install

[Gregory Fontenele]

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want to leave this list but I can not, can someone erase me from this list?

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 03:21, Joost Roeleveld <joost@antarean.org> wrote:

> On Monday 04 April 2011 14:16:45 James wrote:
> > Mark Shields <laebshade <at> gmail.com> writes:
> > > The last guide recommends using raid0 on some
> > > partitions; everytime I use LVM2, I use nothing
> > > but raid1 partitions.  I'd rather have the full
> > > raid1 than partial raid 1 + speed of raid0.
> >
> > Well Raid 1 only would be keen.
> > Even swap as raid 1 ?
> >
> > There are actually 2 docs that cross
> > reference each other. See my post to
> > Mark's input...
> >
> > thx
> > James
>
> On my server, I use RAID-1 for swap as well. Why risk the system crashing
> because half the swap dissappears suddenly because of a drive failure?
>
> There actually is only 1 system that I use regularly with a RAID-0
> partition.
> And that machine is only used for virtual machines I use for testing. If
> that
> one dies, worst that happens is I need to recreate the images. Not a big
> loss
> for me.
>
> --
> Joost Roeleveld
>
>


-- 
Atenciosamente,
Gregory Fontenele

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