Can I install openSuSE at a degraded RAID and add HDD later?

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I have an office file-server under Windows 2003.
I want to repalce it with openSuse 11.2

The problem is, the file server has 4 HDDs in it’s RAID. One HDD is dead, so the RAID is degraded. (I have few experience with RAID, that’s why I can say silly things).
Due to RAID the HDD’s failure doesn’t cause the system to failure. Later I can replace the dead HDD with a workable one.

But I want to install openSuse 11.2 at the degraded RAID. Can I do this and later add the missing HDD? I’ve heard/read, that RAID has to be “build” before system installation.

2

Hi
Why upgrade if it’s all working (aside from the degraded drive)??

Have you got a good backup of the “whole system” and a separate backup
of the “data” in case you need to roll back??

Have you tested the backup and restore of the server and or data with
the existing OS?

Personally, I would remove/replace the drive before an install as well.

Installing openSUSE will require you to rebulid the array for sure as
the file systems are different.

Also there is no warranty of any kind with the above advise, as your
the one at the keyboard :wink:

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (x86_64) Kernel 2.6.27.37-0.1-default
up 3 days 14:53, 2 users, load average: 0.16, 0.24, 0.21
GPU GeForce 8600 GTS Silent - CUDA Driver Version: 190.18

3

Because Linux is better then Windows (-:
Need some permissions politics and I have experience with OpenSuSE and Samba, not with Windows Server 2003.

I need only files in a folder. Not the whole system. The files are backuped at another removable HDD.

I would too, but I don’t have the drive to replace right now. I don’t imagine, when it will be available.

So, I didn’t catch the answer to my question. Please, expain for dummies. (-:

4

Hi
At the end of the day it’s your call was my answer :slight_smile:

I would leave the drive in then (you never know, it may be a windows
thing saying it’s degraded?)

Is it RAID array hardware or software?

You could check by swapping drives, does the degradation follow?

If your happy that you have all the data you need backed up and
verified before running an install you should be good to go.

Is the backup on FAT or NTFS? as you may strike some permissions
problems when restoring the data.

What are your plans for the RAID configuration?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (x86_64) Kernel 2.6.27.37-0.1-default
up 3 days 15:28, 2 users, load average: 0.72, 0.44, 0.27
GPU GeForce 8600 GTS Silent - CUDA Driver Version: 190.18

5

I tried to set the dead drive into different slots. Any time BIOS (or RAID bios, I’m not sure how to say right - but when the machine is starting before the system boot) says the drive is offline.

I’m not sure, I think hardware. I can enable/disable RAID in bios setup, can enter RAID setup by Ctrl+I when the machine is booting.

see above

Hm… NTFS and I have many cyrillic names. How can I perevnt myself from surprises? I should set some owners and permissions in Win2003 I think.

To leave the configuration as it is now and replace the dead drive (right now it’s not phisically connected).

6

Hi
I would download a live cd and run that up on the machine just to see
how it goes, plug in your backup drive and check the data…

This should help to see how the RAID controller goes (sees the array).
Else you may need to look at breaking the array in the BIOS and using
software RAID.

What I meant was what are your partition plans for the RAID? All one
big partition with OS and data, separate partitions for this and that?

Might be worth a read of the following as well;
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Software-RAID-HOWTO.html
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Multi-Disk-HOWTO.html

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (x86_64) Kernel 2.6.27.37-0.1-default
up 3 days 16:14, 2 users, load average: 0.47, 1.21, 0.76
GPU GeForce 8600 GTS Silent - CUDA Driver Version: 190.18

7

A good idea. I’ll try it first. Thanks.

LiveCD boot should help?

Does that mean, that I should switch to common SATA mode and use Linux software RAID (I had a look at an article about what the software raid is.)
Has the software raid an ability to “accept” a new HDD later?

What is the best way? I’ve planned 3 partitions - root, swap and one for files.

Yes, it’s worth… so much to read )-:
I understand, it looks I don’t want to read and want someone to solve my problems instead of me, but I promise to read it all! (-:

8

Hi
Yes booting from a live CD should identify your hardware so any
questions can be asked :wink:

Yes, you can add another drive into the array, you just need to add it.
But how do you plan the actual raiding of the above partitions?

Does the system have a lot of ram or does it use swap?

If you had plenty of ram and it doesn’t swap much (depending on your
application) I would put swap at the end of the drive partitioning, run
multiple swap partitions and make them all small, make one big one.
Look at those documents to help decide…

Create a backup boot partition? (see documents). Do you have lots of
data that is accessed a lot eg database, then I would create the first
partition for this and an extended for the OS and swap.

Or are you going to just RAID (0+1) the data across 3 drives?

So so many different ways, maybe even LVM may be better?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.2 (i586) Kernel 2.6.31.5-0.1-desktop
up 0:08, 1 user, load average: 0.09, 0.72, 0.51
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME

9

Well, to tell the trith the coping to my backup drive is still in process. I’m waiting to boot from LiveCD.

It has 2 GB. I think Windows uses it’s swap. I don’t know, if I need to use. Give an advice, please (-:

Well, this is the advice (-:

I’m didn’t know before, that there can be several swaps. What is “small” and “big”?

I’ve not looked yet.

Ok.

I’ve read the following:

RAID 0+1 (or 01) is a striped data set (RAID 0) which is then mirrored (RAID 1). A RAID 0+1 array requires a minimum of four drives: two to hold the striped data, plus another two to mirror the first pair.

and I thin yes. It seems it works in such manner now under Windows.

Hmm… I don’t know (how to print a silly smile?)

Or should I read those link befor continuing asking? I have only the night and I’m not sure if I’ll be it time. It seems much to read and English is not my native. But if there not way out, I’ll try to

10

Hi
There may be a translation here?
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/translations/

I think if you can delay the actual install it may help more in the
long run. Try the cd and see if it all boots ok etc.

Yes, but you can also setup partitions in different ways as well. You
could run RAID 0+1 on your data and just RAID 0 on your OS.

I think it would be far easier to read the documentation and wait for a
replacement drive, then ask more questions :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.2 (i586) Kernel 2.6.31.5-0.1-desktop
up 0:58, 1 user, load average: 0.26, 0.11, 0.07
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME

11

No Ukrainian, not Russian on the topic there.

If I had a disk for replacement, I should not ask “if I can add it later”. The problem is I have no the disk and don’t know when it will be availabale. But I have to setup the system now.

Ok, I’ll try to read the all in so short time. I’m sure I’ll not be in time :frowning:

12

Hi
Well you could mirror the data on two drives and put the OS on the
other one as one disk of a RAID pair and see how that goes?

Unfortunately once you start there is no turning back…

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.2 (i586) Kernel 2.6.31.5-0.1-desktop
up 1:29, 1 user, load average: 0.10, 0.12, 0.09
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME

13

Yes, but what I will do with the 4-th disk, when I’ll get it?

I’ve read something about LVM. I think it can fit my needs. I cat setup a volum for OS, a volume with clonning for data and later resize them to include the 4th disk. In this case I need to turn off RAID, to let system see each drive as sda, sdb,sdc.

Am I right?

14

Hi
You can add the disk as a RAID drive and it should mirror or the
data depending on your requirements.

Yes, basically thats LVM, however it’s not mirrored, so you would need
to ensure backups are done. I’ve never used LVM…

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.2 (i586) Kernel 2.6.31.5-0.1-desktop
up 3:06, 1 user, load average: 0.22, 0.18, 0.06
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME

15

Well, please, tell my how to print a very silly smile? I feel as a blonde. The “dead” drive is alive. It was offlined in the RAID bios. I don’t know why - I see this server machine the second time in my life.

No it’s ok with the RAID. Redundnant restored.

Please, give an advice how to behave better for the office file-server and the RAID? I have 4 equil disks. Now, I think it’s a hardware RAID setup, to drives copies of another to. I have half phisical space in Windows.
If I install open suse, according to your previos posts, I should create a partition for OS which is not needed to be cloned. Next the partition for work files, which is needed to be cloned. And, I think, a partition for media - films, mp3s and so on, which is not needed to be cloned. I mean, I want to get more space and not to lose safeness for the work files. And I’m not sure of any DB needed, this may be needed in future. But the office has about 10-15 machines, I don’t think the load will be huge anyway.

So:
OS (not safety)
Work Files (safety)
DB (safety)
Media files (not safety)

Or may be you can advice another suggestion?

Thanks very much for your help…

16

Well, I think the best and easiest way for me now is to use RAID 5.

Thanks, I think the topic is closed for me.

17

Hi
That’s good news about the drive :slight_smile:

Did it boot up ok of a livecd?

Hmmm, I would probably look at using RAID (0+1) for three drives for
your data and one drive for the OS and mp3’s. Create a swap twice your
physical RAM (some may say 1-1.5 times) since it’s a server, but you
never know…

sda1 - swap (4GB)
sda2 - extended partition (balance)
sda5 - boot (512MB)
sda6 - opensuse (balance)

sdb1 - create RAID member
sdc1 - create RAID member
sdd1 - create RAID member

Add sda1-sdd1 to RAID array and will become md0

Now one thing to watch out for is the drive order, some hardware
reverses the order for example linux = sda, motherboard sata channel=4

So if it won’t boot and you get a grub error you may need to modify the
boot order in BIOS.

Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.2 (i586) Kernel 2.6.31.5-0.1-desktop
up 4:34, 1 user, load average: 0.71, 0.54, 0.28
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME

18

Yes, I can see and access my backup drive and I can see the 4 drives in Yast Partitioner.

Well, as a rule those media take much more place, then really needed files. But ok.

Where do I set that 0+1? In RAID bios setup or in Yast Partitioner?

Where should I do this? In yast partitioner?

What has to be RAID hardware setup? Not it contains 1 RAID massive with 4 drives. I think I have to leave it as it is now.

What do you mean, when saying “balance”, as much space, as I prefer?

I had such a problem in the past. Thanks for the notice.

19

Hi
I would create it all via YaST partitioner and not use the hardware
raid. You could also just use two disks for RAID 0 (OS and mp3s) and
two disks for RAID 1 (work files)

sda1 - swap (2GB)
sda2 - extended
sda5 - boot (512MB)
sda6 - RAID 0 member (balance [rest of disk space])

sdb1 - swap (2GB)
sdb2 - extended
sdb5 - spare_boot (512MB) (don’t mount at boot)
sdb6 - RAID 0 member (balance [rest of disk space])

sdc1 - RAID 1 member

sdd1 - RAID 1 member

md0 - RAID 0 (for operating system and mp3/video)

md1 - RAID 1 (for work files)

You can then partition md0 and md1 as required into further partitions.

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.2 (i586) Kernel 2.6.31.5-0.1-desktop
up 6:50, 1 user, load average: 0.10, 0.06, 0.01
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME