OpenSuse 11.3 Installation with RAID1 on two disks

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi - I fail to install OpenSuse 11.3 with Raid-1. What I do: Partitioning -> Expert. sda1 type RAID do not format / mount, sda2 /(root) type RAID do not format / mount, sda3 /home type RAID do not format/mount. Clone disk to sdb. Raid -> add md126p1 type swap mount to swap, add->md126p2 type etx4 mount to /(root), md126p3 type ext4 mount to /home. Bootloader: GRUB, boot from MBR enabled, boot from / disabled.
After installation the system does not boot and grub reports error that the specified filesystem can not be found.
Any idea? Thank’s and best regards,
Frank

2

I have done this by the following method:

  1. Create partitions for /boot, /, /home, /var and swap on both disks
  2. Mark those partitions as Linux RAID Autodetect
  3. Create /dev/mdX devices by adding partition pairs
  4. Specify filesystem type, mount-point and mark to be formatted, for each /dev/mdX device
  5. Tell GRUB to boot from the /dev/mdX device assigned to /boot

You do need a separate partition for /boot and / and you should specify the /dev/mdX devices for them during GRUB configuration.

In the scenario described here the /dev/mdX devices would be /dev/md0, /dev/md1, /dev/md2, /dev/md3 and /dev/md4. I don’t use the /dev/mdXpY naming method.

3

Hi Neil, thank’s for your reply! Could you please also let me know how you set up the bootloader - boot from MBR or boot from / ?
Also it would be interesting for me to know whether you mount your partitions by ID or devname.
Thank’s again, Frank.

4

I install GRUB to the MBR and reference /boot and / with /dev/mdX.

5

Thank you Neil, I got it working. What I tried now is to add entries to the boot menu so that I can boot the system if only one of the two disks is present. I used the Gnome GUI for Grub and I failed because even if I enter /dev/sda2 for /boot and /dev/sda3 for / the Image for this is still on /dev/mdX and I can’t change it with the GUI. How would I do this manually?

Sorry to bother you with that but I could not boot in the case a disk breaks.
Bye, Frank

6

Am 15.12.2010 16:06, schrieb frank zipper:
>
> neildarlow;2265907 Wrote:
>> I install GRUB to the MBR and reference /boot and / with /dev/mdX.
>
> Thank you Neil, I got it working. What I tried now is to add entries to
> the boot menu so that I can boot the system if only one of the two disks
> is present. I used the Gnome GUI for Grub and I failed because even if I
> enter /dev/sda2 for /boot and /dev/sda3 for / the Image for this is
> still on /dev/mdX and I can’t change it with the GUI. How would I do
> this manually?
>
> Sorry to bother you with that but I could not boot in the case a disk
> breaks.
> Bye, Frank
>
>

As this is the German subforum, I’m going to move your thread to the
according English part.

Just to let you know.

If you want to change the menu, you can edit /boot/grub/menu.lst or
simpy use YaST.

–
openSUSE official member
LXDE team

7

As long as you can specify boot order in your BIOS there is nothing else to do. The BIOS will boot the first working disk. Just specify the /dev/mdX devices for /boot and / in your GRUB configuration not the component disk partitions.

8

I should add that creation of a bootable RAID-1 mirrored system is entirely possible from the openSUSE installer.

There is absolutely no need to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst manually to configure booting from RAID. The installer is capable of placing GRUB on the component disks for you automatically.

9

I’m trying to do this exact same setup (2 HDDs with RAID 1). Could someone enlighten me as to what settings within the installer (DVD) I should use? Specifically:

Just specify the /dev/mdX devices for /boot and / in your GRUB configuration not the component disk partitions.

How do I do the above within the installer? Is there some advanced setting I should be using? I’m on my third attempt at installing openSUSE 11.3 with RAID1 and I’ve been unable to boot the system afterwards each time.

10

I tied sevral times tonight to use the SuSE installer to install a RAID 1 on 2 qty 1 TB drives. It failed miserably 4 times. I used ext 3. I separated / and /boot. One time it put grub on hd(0,3) (which was root) the other it tried to put it on hd (0,4) (which was my LVs in RAID. I did notice it trying to use that disk by id **** in grub. Is there a way to turn that off? And it work? The first time I built it I had no trouble, but I mangled up the fs so bad I had to start all over and that is when the trouble started

11

I assume you are using software RAID??? BIOS assisted (FAKE) RAID is very iffy on Linux. Also I don’t under stand “tried to put”. You have complete control on where things go in the installer. I find it doubtful that the default install will do things right you must guide it.