Partitioning question
 

I want to partition a new server the same way an existing server is, and if the current is using LVM to use it on the new server, etc. How can I see exactly what's setup on the current server, so when I go to partition it during the RHEL install on the new server, i can match it to the current one?

I'm not sure if I'm answering what you want.... But I think that you are asking how to view your current server partition information.

I don't know much about your system, but from the command line, login as root. Then run

fdisk -l

fdisk -l to see the partitions and, if you do have an LVM partition, read the pvdisplay and lvdisplay man pages. That only leaves you needing to know the file system types which df -T will give for all mounted file systems.

well here's the output of those two commands, not quite sure I understand what exactly to use in the partitioning tool as I load the new server though.


fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 146.5 GB, 146557370368 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 17817 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 13 104391 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 14 17817 143010630 8e Linux LVM


df -T
Filesystem Type 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00
ext3 136551432 15328448 114174588 12% /
/dev/sda1 ext3 101086 23353 72514 25% /boot
tmpfs tmpfs 517572 0 517572 0% /dev/shm

df -h is easier to read, but basically those results are saying you've got one disk /dev/sda, divided into 2 partitions sda1, sda2.
sda1 = boot partition and quite small
sda2 = everything else and its an LVM

cat /etc/fstab

also worth a look.

RHEL Admin howto : http://www.linuxtopia.org/online_boo...ion/index.html
LVM HOWTO : http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/

Basically, your system looks like it was a 'take all the defaults' install.

chrism01, I wasn't aware of that command. Thanks :)

Thanks Chris. So I don't even have to change anything in the partitioning program? that makes this a lot easier then if that's true.

This output raises a question. It says the disk is 146.5 GB and the cylinder information says it is all used. The 512 in "Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes" vaguely implies the block size is 512 bytes but the block information says the blocks are actually 1024 bytes. Why the different block sizes? I vaguely recall that default block sizes were 512 (on the small side for today's HDD capacities). When did it change -- or did various distros change the default at different times?

Good point; I should have suggested it as well as fdisk.

@rjo98: df is used to show mounted file systems; fdisk is used to show partitions, some of which are usually not mounted.

ok, thanks.

So I should just accept the installers defaults when I load the server then?

Maybe. When you started the thread you wrote "I want to partition a new server the same way an existing server is, and if the current is using LVM to use it on the new server, etc.". If the existing server was set up using the installer's defaults and if the installer's defaults haven't changed then the answer to your question is "yes" -- but those are big "if"s. Maybe somebody familiar with your distro can answer them. What is your distro?

This could start a long LVM discussion but ... the existing partition setup isn't very clever. Arguably there's little point in having / in LVM because:

• ext3 cannot be resized while the file system is mounted
• the partition / is in a) cannot be extended and b) cannot be snapshotted (great for backups, especially verification) because it is already using all the available space.

If you are interested in this, search LQ; there have been quite a few debates about the usefulness of LVM. It's a great tool but has pros and cons that make it a good choice in some circumstances and a poor one in others.

it's RHEL

and the person who built the original server is no longer here.

I've never used LVM in my limited experience, never thought the pros would benefit me. these are/will be FTP servers also, if that makes a difference in all this.

If the current system works ok, I'd prob just go with that.
Later on, when you become more expert you can consider fine tuning it. Not a trivial task, but do-able.
See those links of mine; the RHEL Admin covers LVM in some detail. The other link is just for an alternate/background view.
Just keep an eye on the logs and disk space regularly. As a rule, the default settings of the logrotate service keep your logs under ctrl, and are easy to tune.
Here's another good link http://linux.die.net/man/, see http://linux.die.net/man/8/logrotate

ok, thanks Chris. I'll just let the installer do the default partitioning on the new server.