Problems installing openSUSE 11.1 on Itel Server with RAID

user · August 12, 2009, 6:55pm

Hi there!!
I’m sorry for my ignorance but i’m just a poor amateur bitbasher
I’ve recently bought an Intel Server (i need database and web server and LAN/WAN for my shops) with embendded Server RAID II (note I bought it already mounted) it’s a Entry Server Chassis SC5299-E 550W DP/WS/BRP with Intel Server Board S5000VSA 2 Xeon quad core CPU E5405 @ 2.00GHz 4 GB of ECC Ram and 4 500GB HDs deployed in RAID 5 with the Intel RAID activation key AXXRAKSW5 …
First of all at startup the BIOS check of the RAID device is ONLINE… i have update the BIOS and RAID drivers and i have tried to install using the Intel LiveCD
I try to install openSUSE 11.1 and it works fine i could even start configuring Mysql and Apache but when i try to reboot,in order to check if mysql runs as a mysql:mysql process and that apache is chrooted, during the startup sequence it doesn’t find any bootable partion… the first time i have used the Partition Based suggested partioning, i tried to repair the installation and when scanning the disks it doesn’t find any Linux partion…then i tried with an LVM based partioning strategy but again when rebooting it does find some partion but i get this lines

Waiting for /dev/mapper/ddf1_4c534920202020…_part1 . no more events…done

Checking file system fsck 1.41.1(01-Sep-2008)
error on stat() /dev/mapper/ddf1_4c5349202020…part1 : No such file or directory(!!!)
error on stat() /dev/mapper/ddf1_4c5349202020…part1 : No such file or directory
fsck.ext3 : No such file or directory while trying to open /dev/mapper/ddf1_4c5…part1
/dev/mapper/ddf1_4c5…part1:
the super block could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the devie is valid and already contains an ext2 filesystem (and not swap or ufs) then the superblock is corrupt (!!) and you might trying running e2fcsk with an alternate superblock:
e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

/dev/system/home : clean 683/512064 files, 70205/2044928 blocks
blogd: no message logging because /var file system is not accessible…failed
ehci-hcd ohci-hcd uhci-hcd usb-ohci usb-uhci
fsck failed for at least one of the filesystem (not /)
repair manually and reboot.
the root file systme is already mounted read-write
…

i log in and try

e2fsck -b 8193 /dev/mapperddf1_4c5…_part2

and i get Device or resource busy while trying to open /dev/mapper/ddf1_4c…_part2

then i try

e2fsck -b 8193 /dev/mapperddf1_4c5…_part1

and i get a

boot splash: status console 0 changed to off
pass 1 : Checking inodes , blocks and sizes
…
pss 5 Checking group summary information
Free blocks count wrong for group #0 (7667, counted=3566)
Fix(y)?
y
Free blocks count wrong for group #1 (7681, counted=3131)
Fix(y)?
y
Free blocks count wrong for group #2 (7939, counted=1947)
Fix(y)?
y
Free blocks count wrong (64565, counted=49922)
Fix(y)?
y
Free inodes count wrong for group #0 (1997, counted1983)
Fix(y)?
y
Free inodes count wrong for group #2 (2008, counted1991)
Fix(y)?
y
Directories count wrong for group #2 (0, counted=1)
Fix(y)?
y
Free inodes count wrong (18061, counted= 18030)
Fix(y)?
y
/dev/mapper/ddf1_4c…_part1 *******FILE SYTEM WAS MODIFIED *************

then i tried again fsck but i get the same answer as above (try running e2fsck…).

Then i tryed again to install but i with my partion scheme i tried but in the partion manager window it DOES NOT appear my RAID, this is what i get :
/dev/mapper/ddf1_4c534920202020202…1450
/dev/mapper/ddf1_4c534920202020202…1450_part2
/dev/sda
/dev/sdb
/dev/sdc
/dev/sdd
/dev/system
/dev/system/home (ext3)-> note that during startup it was seen as an ext2 filesystem???
/dev/system/root (ext3)
/dev/system/swap (Swap)
because i have already made an installation

in unused device i get
/dev/mapper/ddf1_4c534920202020202…1450_part1
/dev/system/home
/dev/system/root
in RAID i get nothing!
and if i try to Add Raid it finds just
/dev/mapper/ddf1_4c534920202020202…1450_part1
and nothing else

I don’t know what to do (so i tried to reinstall using the BIOS partioning option:
Completed the installation i restart from WITHIN the OS and i get this error message while rebooting
RAID set “ddf1_4c…” was activated
trying manual resume from /dev/disk/by-id/raid-ddf1_4c…_part6
resume device /dev/disk/by-id/raid-ddf1_4c…_part6 not found (ignoring)
trying manual resume from /dev/disk/by-id/raid-ddf1_4c…_part6
resume device /dev/disk/by-id/raid-ddf1_4c…_part6 not found (ignoring)
trying manual resume from /dev/disk/by-id/raid-ddf1_4c…_part7
waiting for device /dev/disk/by-id/raid-ddf1_4c…_part7 to appear … Could not find
dev/disk/by-id/raid-ddf1_4c…_part7
Want me to fall back to dev/mapper/ddf1_4c…_part7 ? (Y/n)
Y
Waiting for device dev/mapper/ddf1_4c…_part7 to appear… not found exiting to /bin/sh

What should i do???

Help please.

smpoole7 · August 12, 2009, 9:39pm

Wow, that’s a detailed post! But it beats the heck out of the ones that just say, “my raid 5 don’t work no more, pleez help!!!”

I’ll need to re-read it a couple of times to make sure I’m following you, but here are some general points:

Ext3 is simply ext2 with journaling added.
There are known issues with Intel’s raid controllers during bootup with various Linux distros and/or Grub (a couple have been queried here in this forum).

Don’t slap me for asking this but … you DID do a clean shutdown, right? You didn’t just whack the power key? At any rate, I hate to say it, but it sounds like your array is scrambled, so you’ll probably have to start from scratch, anyway.

If it was me, given that you’ve already invested this much time in it, I’d try doing a completely clean install without raid, or with software raid enabled (don’t enable both Intel’s hardware raid AND Suse’s software raid at the same time!).

Just some thoughts. I also wonder what the “Intel Live CD” is that you referred to near the top of your post.

smpoole7 · August 12, 2009, 10:07pm

Two other places to go for info.

I wasn’t able to determine your raid controller from the info provided, but if it’s what I think it is, it’s NOT true hardware raid. It depends on an OS driver. Ergo, you may have to set the system up with 4 independent drives and then use software raid.

As for why you were able to do the initial install, who knows? Could be any number of reasons. But a quick Web search shows that this isn’t uncommon – “I installed Linux, seemed to be OK on my Raid 5 system, but as soon as I rebooted it all blew up!”

Sorry.

smpoole7 · August 13, 2009, 3:04am

OK, one more and I’m gone.


/dev/sda
/dev/sdb
/dev/sdc
/dev/sdd

That is indeed the key. As you guessed, Linux is seeing your array as four separate discrete drives.

user · August 13, 2009, 2:31pm

angramaynu wrote:
> i have tried to install using the Intel LiveCD

what is that? what does it do? does it add software to control the
raid…is it designed to work only with (say) Windows Server?

> I try to install openSUSE 11.1 and it works fine

my GUESS is your install didn’t actually go as fine as you thought!

first: are you installing openSUSE from a Live CD or DVD? if you
downloaded the iso image did you md5sum check it, and if it passed
then after you had burned the disk did you check and find the disk
perfect??

> i could even start
> configuring Mysql and Apache but when i try to reboot,in order to check
> if mysql runs as a mysql:mysql process and that apache is chrooted,
> during the startup sequence it doesn’t find any bootable partion

second: part of a normal install (from the DVD–i don’t know about and
do NOT recommend installing from the CD) includes a boot and then an
install second phase where, if connected to the net, it will fetch all
the updates, patches and security fixes…did you do that BEFORE you
began “configuring Mysql and Apache” followed by the boot that blew up??

review this and see if you actually had a “works fine” install:
http://en.opensuse.org/INSTALL_Local#Automatic_Configuration

oh, and while on that page scroll up to
http://en.opensuse.org/INSTALL_Local#Step_5:_Desktop_selection
and tell what you selected…for a server you probably only need the
LAST item on the list: "Minimal Server Selection (Text Mode)…or,
will you actually need X?

ps: i am NOT suggesting you ignore previous or other posts (i’m pretty
sure that smpoole7 and many others here have already forgotten more
about raid than i will ever learn!!)…what am suggesting is that
maybe if what you have is not fixable (and that certainly might be the
case) then before you begin again have a read here, no matter how
experienced you are with Linux: http://tinyurl.com/6jwtg9

if for no other reason than to make sure you have a 100% pure DVD to
install from…

–
goldie
Note: Accuracy, completeness, legality, or usefulness of this posting
may be illusive.

user · August 13, 2009, 3:04pm

Ext3 is simply ext2 with journaling added.

Yes but it’s not normal that fsck and e2fsck try to clean up and bump away the journaling, i think also that ext3 is not just ext2 with journaling it is backward compatible with ext2 but i’m not so sure i did not check out surce code … , i also checked the ext3 limit for the file system and i should be inside it (i have 1,3 Tb) even with the smallest block size

Don’t slap me for asking this but … you DID do a clean shutdown, right? You didn’t just whack the power key? At any rate, I hate to say it, but it sounds like your array is scrambled, so you’ll probably have to start from scratch, anyway.

mmmmm after “installation” i just prompted #poweroff and it shut down…

Just some thoughts. I also wonder what the “Intel Live CD” is that you referred to near the top of your post.

I have find in my server packaging a cd made by Intel (it’s some sort of Linux live OS such as Knopix) that is used to update BIOS hardware drivers etc it could also prepare the system to install an OS i could choose between Windows RHEL(Red Hat Enterprise) and SUSE (not openSuse).

Next issue it is Softwarfe RAID , i noticed when i read the doc it points out that the actic=vation key “on Intel 500 Chipset Series …] enables sftware RAID 5…”
that the problem not integrating myself the server i did read the instructions!!!Anyway i think it’s a BIOS level software RAID as it is written here in italic

If you want to install the kind of RAID that is supported by some motherboards, just enable RAID in your BIOS and install as usual.
NOTE: BIOS-RAID is only supported by openSUSE 10.2 or later. Earlier versions of SUSE DO NOT support BIOS-RAID.

How to install openSUSE on software RAID - openSUSE

Now the problem is how do i do this

Ergo, you may have to set the system up with 4 independent drives and then use software raid.

I can be good at programming or in solving differitial equations but i don’t know how to it (i’m so clueless) can you help me??

Anyway roaming the net i think i have found the problem … i think my Mobo(S5000VSA a server mother board) is supported just on commercial distros such as SUSE or Red Hat Enterprise (and again how did i manage to install???) infact on the Intel site i found the that this particular type is supported by Widows RHEL(from 4.0 to 5.0) and SUSE(from 9.3 to 10.2 if i’m not mistaken).

So i think that my project to have an Open Source Server is dead … i will check in order to be sure but i think the Intel Commercial servers are supported only by commercial distros

Thank you i can try to install if you tell me how to do it… then i’ll check out if the Commercial Edition can work in the mean time i’ll try to load the evaluation Windows just to check if it works

user · August 13, 2009, 3:52pm

To goldie

> i have tried to install using the Intel LiveCD

what is that? what does it do? does it add software to control the
raid…is it designed to work only with (say) Windows Server?

it’s a live distro of Linux (i guess) used to update BIOS and other hardware drivers it also can help installing OS it supports Windows RHEL and SUSE

> i could even start
> configuring Mysql and Apache but when i try to reboot,in order to check
> if mysql runs as a mysql:mysql process and that apache is chrooted,
> during the startup sequence it doesn’t find any bootable partion

second: part of a normal install (from the DVD–i don’t know about and
do NOT recommend installing from the CD) includes a boot and then an
install second phase where, if connected to the net, it will fetch all
the updates, patches and security fixes…did you do that BEFORE you
began “configuring Mysql and Apache” followed by the boot that blew up??

During the installation it restarted two times but using a particular kernel module i donn’t rember the name it skipped the machine shutdown just resetting all so it never really shutdown during installation , i have downloaded all the updates during installation, it’s higly improbable that MySQL or Apache configuration leads to system failure

review this and see if you actually had a “works fine” install:
INSTALL Local… Configuration - openSUSE

oh, and while on that page scroll up to
INSTALL Local…ktop selection - openSUSE
and tell what you selected…for a server you probably only need the
LAST item on the list: "Minimal Server Selection (Text Mode)…or,
will you actually need X?

Installation ended correctly at least i think, i didn’t saw that screens because i installed the text mode and i was planning to remove the video card (it doesn’t even has the monitor when i bought it) and administrate it via SSH or telnet over the serial port.

Thak you anyway

user · August 13, 2009, 4:03pm

i checked out the intel site
Intel® Server Board S5000VSA - Tested operating systems

those the OS that are tested and running SUSE is suported only since release 10 i was wrong.

smpoole7 · August 13, 2009, 6:37pm

But that early in the boot, you might see “ext2” instead of “ext3.” See this post in the Ubuntu forums: GRUB thinks file system is ext2 - Ubuntu Forums. The poster says (correctly), “As far as GRUB is concerned, it makes no difference at all whether your file system is ext2 or ext3.”

I have find in my server packaging a cd made by Intel (it’s some sort of Linux live OS such as Knopix) that is used to update BIOS hardware drivers etc it could also prepare the system to install an OS i could choose between Windows RHEL(Red Hat Enterprise) and SUSE (not openSuse).

OK, that clears up what the “Intel Live CD” is.

Note that, while OpenSuse is the “test bed” for Suse Enterprise, they’re not exactly the same. One of the Novell Gurus here can correct me if I’m wrong, but SEL 10 is basically the Opensuse 10 product, hardened and kept up-to-date. I would imagine that by the time 11.2 is released, there could significant divergence in the code. (But I don’t know that for a fact.)

I don’t use the Suse Enterprise product, but I’ve run across issues with sata vs. pata, for example, when upgrading from OpenSuse 10.2 to 10.3, and again to 11. (The sata/pata issue seemed to be resolved in 11.1.)

I can be good at programming or in solving differitial equations but i don’t know how to it (i’m so clueless) can you help me??

First of all, you’re NOT “clueless.” What you’re tackling here is actually a fairly advanced problem. Go a little easier on yourself.

Not actually looking at your system, it’s difficult for me to figure it out. I’m afraid to give detailed instructions, because I could easily hose something, trying to walk you through what I suggested. There may be braver souls here who want to try.

You could try the Enterprise installation. I think you can download a trial version of Suse Enterprise (you could a while back, IIRC). You could also try CentOS 5 (which is a community build of RHEL 5).

But my suggestion, briefly, entailed the following:

Disable the hardware raid. You should be able to do this in the BIOS. This will leave you with four separate, individual hard drives.
Install Opensuse and during installation, see if it will join the drives together (using Logical Volume Management and/or software raid).

And …

Anyway roaming the net … i think my Mobo(S5000VSA a server mother board) is supported just on commercial distros

See my comments above. Download a “trial” version of the Enterprise product, try something like CentOS, or go ahead and pay for the thing.

(again how did i manage to install???)

I said what I did above based on my own experience with an older HP server that had an Adaptec SCSI raid array. We installed the OS (Mandrake 9.2??? Can’t remember) and it seemed to go just fine. But first reboot, the thing just blew up and wouldn’t work.

Don’t ask me why, don’t ask me how. I don’t know (and don’t have the time to investigate it.) We eventually got it to work with another (older, as it turned out – don’t overlook that option!) version of Linux.

I have to be honest with you – I’m not a huge fan of RAID, anyway. Some people swear by it, but others (including Google, by the way) think it’s useless. I’d rather just set up a huge LVM rig and cron some regular backups to a separate, known-good machine.

But I freely admit that to be just my opinion. Others disagree.

smpoole7 · August 13, 2009, 6:43pm

Touching on what I said above: especially in the Linux world, a list of recommended/tested operating systems DOES NOT mean, “this version and any later.” It means, “THIS VERSION.” (Forgive me for shouting, but that’s important. ) See what I said above and sata vs. pata on OpenSuse 10.3, 11.0 and 11.1.

Community/free/“open” and “live” distros are beautiful things that will work 90-95% of the time. But in some special cases – and yours may be just that – you have to carefully select the distro and specifically choose a release that’s recommended by the manufacturer.

user · September 1, 2009, 6:06pm

Hi there sorry if i did not replied erlier…
I MADE IT lol! i have found the right Intel Drivers for my BIOS Raid hidden in a distant and forgotten branch of Intel’s site i burned my boot diskette with dd and installed SUSE 11 with brokenmodules=ahci boot otion and finally the OS saw only one 1,3 Tb hard disk (Intel MegaSR)
YESSSSSSSSS!!!

Thank you for your support i’d like to thank my family , my fans… mmmm no I’m just going nuts

See ya Thanks again