I recently installed OpenSUSE 11.0 on a server with 4 SCSI drives. While I followed the instructions in this link, to set up /boot on RAID1, the system was not bootable, with invalid partition table errors. When I install without using RAID for /boot, it boots properly. Any idea on how to get RAID to work for this? tnx jk http://en.opensuse.org/How_to_install_openSUSE_on_software_RAID -- Use OpenOffice.org http://www.openoffice.org -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
James Knott wrote:
I recently installed OpenSUSE 11.0 on a server with 4 SCSI drives. While I followed the instructions in this link, to set up /boot on RAID1, the system was not bootable, with invalid partition table errors. When I install without using RAID for /boot, it boots properly. Any idea on how to get RAID to work for this?
tnx jk
http://en.opensuse.org/How_to_install_openSUSE_on_software_RAID
James, I have done ATA and SATA but not SCSI, but that shouldn't make any difference. The way I do it during install is when Yast proposes a partitioning scheme, (1) choose expert settings; (2) delete all the partitions that yast proposed; (3) on each of the discs you want to mirror, create the partitions and pick the option "[ ] Do Not Format" and set the filesystem type to "Linux RAID". Do this on all mirrored partitions; (4) next choose the RAID button and Create. Yast will then show a list of all the partitions that you have created; (5) next choose Add, and pick a partition from each drive that you will mirror one at a time. When you choose add after selecting a partition you will then assign the filesystem type 'Ext3, etc.' and the mount point. You will also notice that the first pair of partitions selected will be designated /md0. Go through the same steps here twice before moving on, for example once for /boot on sdc5 and once for /boot on sdd5. Now when you look at the screen full of partitions you will have /md0 up top and, continuing with the example, /boot to the right of sdc5 and to the right of sdd5; (6) click finish and goto step (4) for each additional raid set you want to create. You will see the subsequent sets designated as /md1, /md2, etc..; and (7) When you're done, just say OK or confirm like you normally would in the partitioner and move on to software selection. The same process applies to adding new drives and raid sets to an existing install. Thankfully doing it this way it has always just worked. Hopefully it will for you as well. -- David C. Rankin, J.D., P.E. Rankin Law Firm, PLLC 510 Ochiltree Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 Telephone: (936) 715-9333 Facsimile: (936) 715-9339 www.rankinlawfirm.com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
David C. Rankin wrote:
James Knott wrote:
I recently installed OpenSUSE 11.0 on a server with 4 SCSI drives. While I followed the instructions in this link, to set up /boot on RAID1, the system was not bootable, with invalid partition table errors. When I install without using RAID for /boot, it boots properly. Any idea on how to get RAID to work for this?
tnx jk
http://en.opensuse.org/How_to_install_openSUSE_on_software_RAID
James,
I have done ATA and SATA but not SCSI, but that shouldn't make any difference. The way I do it during install is when Yast proposes a partitioning scheme,
(1) choose expert settings;
(2) delete all the partitions that yast proposed;
(3) on each of the discs you want to mirror, create the partitions and pick the option "[ ] Do Not Format" and set the filesystem type to "Linux RAID". Do this on all mirrored partitions;
(4) next choose the RAID button and Create. Yast will then show a list of all the partitions that you have created;
(5) next choose Add, and pick a partition from each drive that you will mirror one at a time. When you choose add after selecting a partition you will then assign the filesystem type 'Ext3, etc.' and the mount point. You will also notice that the first pair of partitions selected will be designated /md0. Go through the same steps here twice before moving on, for example once for /boot on sdc5 and once for /boot on sdd5. Now when you look at the screen full of partitions you will have /md0 up top and, continuing with the example, /boot to the right of sdc5 and to the right of sdd5;
(6) click finish and goto step (4) for each additional raid set you want to create. You will see the subsequent sets designated as /md1, /md2, etc..; and
(7) When you're done, just say OK or confirm like you normally would in the partitioner and move on to software selection.
The same process applies to adding new drives and raid sets to an existing install. Thankfully doing it this way it has always just worked. Hopefully it will for you as well.
I did all that, as per the directions. I tried it a couple of times and the result was the same. I couldn't even boot in rescue mode and mount /boot, as it complained it was part of a RAID array. How is a booting computer supposed to deal with RAID, when it can't even load the necessary software to do that? Creating RAID arrays is not the problem. Booting one is, even though I used RAID 1 for /boot.. -- Use OpenOffice.org http://www.openoffice.org -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
James Knott wrote:
David C. Rankin wrote:
James Knott wrote:
I recently installed OpenSUSE 11.0 on a server with 4 SCSI drives. While I followed the instructions in this link, to set up /boot on RAID1, the system was not bootable, with invalid partition table errors. When I install without using RAID for /boot, it boots properly. Any idea on how to get RAID to work for this?
tnx jk
http://en.opensuse.org/How_to_install_openSUSE_on_software_RAID
James,
I have done ATA and SATA but not SCSI, but that shouldn't make any difference. The way I do it during install is when Yast proposes a partitioning scheme,
(1) choose expert settings;
(2) delete all the partitions that yast proposed;
(3) on each of the discs you want to mirror, create the partitions and pick the option "[ ] Do Not Format" and set the filesystem type to "Linux RAID". Do this on all mirrored partitions;
(4) next choose the RAID button and Create. Yast will then show a list of all the partitions that you have created;
(5) next choose Add, and pick a partition from each drive that you will mirror one at a time. When you choose add after selecting a partition you will then assign the filesystem type 'Ext3, etc.' and the mount point. You will also notice that the first pair of partitions selected will be designated /md0. Go through the same steps here twice before moving on, for example once for /boot on sdc5 and once for /boot on sdd5. Now when you look at the screen full of partitions you will have /md0 up top and, continuing with the example, /boot to the right of sdc5 and to the right of sdd5;
(6) click finish and goto step (4) for each additional raid set you want to create. You will see the subsequent sets designated as /md1, /md2, etc..; and
(7) When you're done, just say OK or confirm like you normally would in the partitioner and move on to software selection.
The same process applies to adding new drives and raid sets to an existing install. Thankfully doing it this way it has always just worked. Hopefully it will for you as well.
I did all that, as per the directions. I tried it a couple of times and the result was the same. I couldn't even boot in rescue mode and mount /boot, as it complained it was part of a RAID array. How is a booting computer supposed to deal with RAID, when it can't even load the necessary software to do that? Creating RAID arrays is not the problem. Booting one is, even though I used RAID 1 for /boot..
Apparently grub does not yet support software raid on linux. I intalled my /boot on a normal partition, and all others on raid1 which works fine for me. You may get it to work however by changing where grub gets installed. This post my help. It was a little involved for me so I didn't follow it, but it may work for you. http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse/2007-12/msg00106.html Good luck, Jim -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Jim Flanagan wrote:
Apparently grub does not yet support software raid on linux. I intalled my /boot on a normal partition, and all others on raid1 which works fine for me.
You may get it to work however by changing where grub gets installed. This post my help. It was a little involved for me so I didn't follow it, but it may work for you.
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse/2007-12/msg00106.html
Good luck,
Jim
So, the trick is to install grub on the MBR then. I'll have to give that a try. This server is an experimental system that I bought for learning about RAID etc., so it's no problem to simply blow it away and start over. -- Use OpenOffice.org http://www.openoffice.org -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 23 June 2008 16:03:05 James Knott wrote:
Jim Flanagan wrote:
Apparently grub does not yet support software raid on linux. I intalled my /boot on a normal partition, and all others on raid1 which works fine for me.
You may get it to work however by changing where grub gets installed. This post my help. It was a little involved for me so I didn't follow it, but it may work for you.
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse/2007-12/msg00106.html
Good luck,
Jim
So, the trick is to install grub on the MBR then. I'll have to give that a try. This server is an experimental system that I bought for learning about RAID etc., so it's no problem to simply blow it away and start over.
-- Use OpenOffice.org http://www.openoffice.org
I had all sorts of problems with soft raid but no trouble at all with hard raid. I do not think you will get it to work with soft raid. When I installed on soft raid the installer picked up the same discs twice and then passed grub what I suspect was a descriptor for the soft raid discs. Grub doesn't seem to be capable of handling it and thows an error msg. John -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 06/23/2008 11:14 PM, John wrote:
I had all sorts of problems with soft raid but no trouble at all with hard raid. I do not think you will get it to work with soft raid.
I hope my system isn't like Google and can read your mail. :-) Because mine has been doing this since 9.x with only some install time fun.
When I installed on soft raid the installer picked up the same discs twice and then passed grub what I suspect was a descriptor for the soft raid discs. Grub doesn't seem to be capable of handling it and thows an error msg.
Since the default was changed to install GRUB in the root filesystem and use generic boot code in the MBR to boot the bootable partition, this does not allow software raid to be booted this way. If GRUB is installed in the MBR, which the BIOS can find it (if it is there), and since GRUB can then load stage 1.5 from the readable filesystem of one disk to load the initrd to have the modules to see the root on raid1, it boots with no real problems. -- Joe Morris Registered Linux user 231871 running openSUSE 10.3 x86_64 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 06/23/2008 11:03 PM, James Knott wrote:
So, the trick is to install grub on the MBR then. I'll have to give that a try. This server is an experimental system that I bought for learning about RAID etc., so it's no problem to simply blow it away and start over.
No need to blow it away, just boot into it, perhaps via the rescue system, mount the root raid1 to /mnt, (i.e. mount /dev/md0 /mnt) and if you have a separate /boot, mount it to /mnt/boot. Once mounted, mount -o bind /sys /mnt/sys mount -o bind /proc /mnt/proc mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev Then, cd /mnt chroot /mnt Now, in your change rooted install, enter grub. At the grub prompt, install to the MBR of each disk, i.e. root (hd0,4) #for first drive, 5th partition, or /dev/sda5, change to fit your disks. Then, setup (hd0) #to install grub. Repeat for the other drive, then quit to exit grub. exit (to exit the chroot) shutdown -r now (to check that it now works. -- Joe Morris Registered Linux user 231871 running openSUSE 10.3 x86_64 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
James Knott wrote:
I did all that, as per the directions. I tried it a couple of times and the result was the same. I couldn't even boot in rescue mode and mount /boot, as it complained it was part of a RAID array. How is a booting computer supposed to deal with RAID, when it can't even load the necessary software to do that? Creating RAID arrays is not the problem. Booting one is, even though I used RAID 1 for /boot..
James, That is kind of weird. Currently I have 4 different each spinning a software RAID 1 array and I have done it the same way each time and I have never had any complaint from grub or any other package that /boot was inside a raid array. In fact all 4 of my RAID installs have /boot inside the array, 3 with separate /boot partitions and one with /boot as part of /. Several months ago, maybe 6 months or so, the same discussion about /boot inside of RAID went across the list and I can't remember what resolution was reached. It could be a controller issue. I have 2 of the arrays on nVidia controllers and 2 on Promise controller (all fake raid controllers) One thing that is worth checking is the BIOS. As with my previous posts on 3 out of 4 of my machines you must specifically set the raid array as bootable in the BIOS. It is usually as sub-screen on the 3rd or 4th main screen of the BIOS. I have had trouble finding the setting before, but if I keep digging, I always run into it. This is definitively work checking into, especially if the MB is advertised as having any type of RAID capabilities under windows. Hope this helps, keep plugging away at it. -- David C. Rankin, J.D., P.E. Rankin Law Firm, PLLC 510 Ochiltree Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 Telephone: (936) 715-9333 Facsimile: (936) 715-9339 www.rankinlawfirm.com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Mon, Jun 23, 2008 at 7:58 PM, David C. Rankin
/boot inside of RAID went across the list and I can't remember what resolution was reached. It could be a controller issue. I have 2 of the arrays on nVidia controllers and 2 on Promise controller (all fake raid controllers)
There was this post back in April from Danial Bauer: http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse/2008-04/msg02199.html Its pretty complete, but it might not be directly on target. -- ----------JSA--------- "Ubuntu" is an African word meaning "Suse is too hard for me". -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
David C. Rankin wrote:
James Knott wrote:
I did all that, as per the directions. I tried it a couple of times and the result was the same. I couldn't even boot in rescue mode and mount /boot, as it complained it was part of a RAID array. How is a booting computer supposed to deal with RAID, when it can't even load the necessary software to do that? Creating RAID arrays is not the problem. Booting one is, even though I used RAID 1 for /boot..
James,
That is kind of weird. Currently I have 4 different each spinning a software RAID 1 array and I have done it the same way each time and I have never had any complaint from grub or any other package that /boot was inside a raid array. In fact all 4 of my RAID installs have /boot inside the array, 3 with separate /boot partitions and one with /boot as part of /.
Several months ago, maybe 6 months or so, the same discussion about /boot inside of RAID went across the list and I can't remember what resolution was reached. It could be a controller issue. I have 2 of the arrays on nVidia controllers and 2 on Promise controller (all fake raid controllers)
One thing that is worth checking is the BIOS. As with my previous posts on 3 out of 4 of my machines you must specifically set the raid array as bootable in the BIOS. It is usually as sub-screen on the 3rd or 4th main screen of the BIOS. I have had trouble finding the setting before, but if I keep digging, I always run into it. This is definitively work checking into, especially if the MB is advertised as having any type of RAID capabilities under windows.
Hope this helps, keep plugging away at it.
I've got it going now. The trick was to put Grub on the MBR. I don't see that mentioned anywhere in those directions. -- Use OpenOffice.org http://www.openoffice.org -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
James Knott wrote:
I've got it going now. The trick was to put Grub on the MBR. I don't see that mentioned anywhere in those directions.
Good to hear, sometime the simplest things can be the biggest PITA, where success hinges on that one solitary setting that hides just out of view. Now we all know GRUB MUST GO ON THE *MBR* FOR SOFTWARE RAID! Glad you got it going. P.S., Spell check hits your name and suggests "knotty", you open to a name change? -- David C. Rankin, J.D., P.E. Rankin Law Firm, PLLC 510 Ochiltree Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 Telephone: (936) 715-9333 Facsimile: (936) 715-9339 www.rankinlawfirm.com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
David C. Rankin wrote:
James Knott wrote:
I did all that, as per the directions. I tried it a couple of times and the result was the same. I couldn't even boot in rescue mode and mount /boot, as it complained it was part of a RAID array. How is a booting computer supposed to deal with RAID, when it can't even load the necessary software to do that? Creating RAID arrays is not the problem. Booting one is, even though I used RAID 1 for /boot..
James,
That is kind of weird. Currently I have 4 different each spinning a software RAID 1 array and I have done it the same way each time and I have never had any complaint from grub or any other package that /boot was inside a raid array. In fact all 4 of my RAID installs have /boot inside the array, 3 with separate /boot partitions and one with /boot as part of /.
Several months ago, maybe 6 months or so, the same discussion about /boot inside of RAID went across the list and I can't remember what resolution was reached. It could be a controller issue. I have 2 of the arrays on nVidia controllers and 2 on Promise controller (all fake raid controllers)
One thing that is worth checking is the BIOS. As with my previous posts on 3 out of 4 of my machines you must specifically set the raid array as bootable in the BIOS. It is usually as sub-screen on the 3rd or 4th main screen of the BIOS. I have had trouble finding the setting before, but if I keep digging, I always run into it. This is definitively work checking into, especially if the MB is advertised as having any type of RAID capabilities under windows.
Hope this helps, keep plugging away at it.
Hey David, Not to be dogmatic about it, but if you've got raid running by setting your bios, you have the so called fake raid, not software raid. These are two very different things. There are pros and cons to both. Software raid does not need bios raid settings to work, only the linux mdraid, but requires a bit more setup, easily done in yast. Glad James got his working. Jim -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Jim Flanagan wrote:
Hey David,
Not to be dogmatic about it, but if you've got raid running by setting your bios, you have the so called fake raid, not software raid. These are two very different things. There are pros and cons to both. Software raid does not need bios raid settings to work, only the linux mdraid, but requires a bit more setup, easily done in yast.
Glad James got his working.
Jim
You dog.. Your of course right, but for matter of discussion, once you set up fake raid in the bios, it is all software raid after that. The only thing I see that fake raid buys you is the ability to replace a failed disk and rebuild the drive without having to boot an OS. Beyond that, my understanding is that fake raid is software raid for all practical purposes. If there are some finer points I'm missing, I'm all for adding a bit more wisdom to the declining gray matter up top. ;-) -- David C. Rankin, J.D., P.E. Rankin Law Firm, PLLC 510 Ochiltree Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 Telephone: (936) 715-9333 Facsimile: (936) 715-9339 www.rankinlawfirm.com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (6)
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David C. Rankin -
James Knott -
Jim Flanagan -
Joe Morris -
John -
John Andersen