Re: [opensuse] Cannot create raid 5 opensuse 10.3
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On Friday 19 October 2007 02:07:49 pm Richard Creighton wrote:
Mike Coan wrote:
when the installation fails and I reboot and begin a new installation, I note that disks 3 and 4 are labeled md0, but disk 2 is not. perhaps it is a problem with disk 2. My next attempt will try to create a raid5 using disks 1, 3 and 4.
Mike
Mike,
Did you make the installation in 2 stages as I suggested and make the raid array from within Yast after updating the kernel?
In other words, I don't trust the installer to make the array. Before you create the array, you can try creating a conventional file system on it and get the formatter to check the surface. That might give you a clue. Also, don't forget 'badblocks' (maybe spelled wrong, it's been a long time).
Richard, Thanks so much for your persistence. I did in fact try it in two stages, updating the kernel, and then tried the array. no luck. I then thought it might be a problem with just raid5. I created a raid0 array, and that was successful. I then created a raid1 array, and that too was successful, although it took a while and it sounded like a hard drive was clicking. With the remaining space on the drives I then tried to create a raid 5 array. it immediately failed with a different error message, but now there was a message on the console. S.M.A.R.T. indicated /sdc was failing. I removed the 3rd drive and voila, YAST had no trouble creating a raid5 array. it was a hardware problem all along. I had SMART enabled the whole time and it kept saying the drives were fine. It was only after repeated attempts to create a raid 5 array that SMART finally indicated the drive was bad. Although time consuming, the exercise was helpful to me. From your YAST screen shot I realized that one didn't need to use the entire disk for an array, just equal size partitions. i had been under the impression you had to use the whole drive. Thus I will format things differently. Linux does the file serving, but we have one major application that must be run on a Windows server. I run it as a virtual machine using vmware. Since raid 0 is the fastest, I will create a raid0 array for virtual machines. Then two raid5 arrays for / and for /storage. I back up to storage and to an external usb drive. Thanks again for all your help. Sorry it was a hardware problem, but since SMART indicated no problem, i wasn't sure. There must be a way to test drives to make sure they are good before beginning aninstallation. Mike -- Michael A. Coan Woodlawn Foundation 524 North Avenue, Suite 203 New Rochelle, NY 10801-3410 Tel 914-632-3778 Fax 914-632-5502 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
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Mike Coan wrote:
On Friday 19 October 2007 02:07:49 pm Richard Creighton wrote:
Richard,
Thanks so much for your persistence. I did in fact try it in two stages,
No problem ... glad it worked out
raid 5 array that SMART finally indicated the drive was bad.
A long time ago I learned to test the pieces when there was doubt. That was the idea behind the do it in stages and format drives conventionally before creating arrays when in doubt.
Although time consuming, the exercise was helpful to me. From your YAST screen shot I realized that one didn't need to use the entire disk for an array, just equal size partitions. i had been under the impression you had to use the whole drive. In ideal situations, one would create arrays of DRIVES which when failures occurred, if you had hot-swappable hardware, it makes it simple to use entire drives. In home or SOHO environments, it isn't written in stone that you have to do that. It is just that if a drive fails, you will have multiple arrays that need to be rebuilt concurrently, which is certainly possible, albeit, time-consuming.
Thus I will format things differently. Linux does the file serving, but we have one major application that must be run on a Windows server. I run it as a virtual machine using vmware. Since raid 0 is the fastest, I will create a raid0 array for virtual machines. Then two raid5 arrays for / and for /storage. I back up to storage and to an external usb drive.
I suggest that you reconsider the RAID 0 idea. While it is possible it is faster, the primary reason for RAID in the first place is redundancy. You get none with RAID 0. If a drive fails with RAID 0, you lose everything. Consider RAID 1 or better yet, seeing as you are going to use VMWare or other virfual machine engine, just create the virtual drive within one of the raid 5 partitions and you have that redundancy and very little loss of speed. In fact, I think RAID 5 might be as fast as RAID 0, it just has some space overhead to get the robustness you need. I only use RAID 0 when space is more important than redundancy.
Thanks again for all your help. Sorry it was a hardware problem, but since SMART indicated no problem, i wasn't sure. There must be a way to test drives to make sure they are good before beginning aninstallation.
Mike
There probably is, and when you find it, share it with me....and the rest of us <grin> Richard -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (2)
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Mike Coan
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Richard Creighton