LinuxQuestions.org - Software Raid

- Slackware (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/)

- - Software Raid (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/software-raid-52657/)

Hi

Can anybody please point me to a howto on setting up software raid 1 on slackware 8.1 I used a few howto's I found but none of them are working. I also need to boot from the raid devices.

Thanks

Isak

I have many Linux software RAID systems running. I never configure them to boot the RAID md devices. I think that it is possible now that kernel auto RAID support is available. But I always create a maintenance partition on both of the primary devices in RAID 1, disk mirroring. I copy this partition to the second drive as well. It provides a location to build and repair the system if required or upgrade as I need.

If you would like to post some of the hardware, drives and controllers, that you would be using and the config that you desire, perhaps I can provide some step by step information.

I haven't read the HOWTO's in a long time so I do not know how uptodate they currently are.

I did this once and wrote a postscript guide for admins coming after me. The guide is specific to the server that I set it up on but it could help you. I can email it to you if you like.

software raid let us know

I also want to set up software raid. I have a 160gb and 120gb hard drive.
the 160gb has the first 40gb for / partition and swap partition, the third partition is 120gb
my /etc/raidtab file contains
raiddev /dev/md0
raid-level 1
nr-raid-disks 2
nr-spare-disks 0
device /dev/hda3
raid-disk 0
device /dev/hdd1
raid-disk

typing cat /proc/mdstat shows a working raid array, so I fdisk /dev/md0 and created
a partition. /dev/md0p1

however there is no /dev/md0p1 device even though it shows in fdisk!!

this stops me mke2fs /dev/md0p1 as there isn't a device to do anything with.
I have tried mknod b 9 1 /dev/md0p1 and suchlike to to effect.

If you have created a howto how about posting it to this thread, or to the howto section of the site
thanks

First thing: read the howto.

I set up software raid 0 on a fresh Slackware install, on 2 Western Digital Raptor hard drives (SATA) with a Promise SATA Raid controller.

I ran into a few problems, but I got it all figured out and now it all works great.

First thing I did was boot slackware, and chose a kernel from the CD. I chose 'sata.i' because my controller _needed_ it just to see the disks. If it didn't I probably would have chosen one of the RAID kernels, but I seemed to get by fine.

After you pick your kernel you need to do your partitioning. I used fdisk on both disks, and made my partitions look like so:

Code:

Disk 1

/boot - 32M - P. Type 83 - Linux

/      - 35000M - P. Type FD - Linux RAID Automount

SWAP  - 512M - P. Type 82 - Linux Swap





Disk 2

/boot - 32M - P. Type 83 - Linux (this partition does nothing on my system).

/      - 35000M - P. Type FD - Linux RAID Automount

SWAP  - 512M - P. Type 82 - Linux Swap

Make sure you set your RAID partitions to type 'fd' with the 't' tool of fdisk.

After making the partitions I made a simple /etc/raidtab file, that I got right from the HOWTO. It worked great, and I started up my RAID array with: raidstart /dev/md0 (you're array will probably be called mdx, where x is 0, 1, 2, etc...

Raidstart worked, so it was time to start the Slackware setup tool. I set up my swap drives (I didnt do RAID on them, but I could have now that I think about it), and then formatted my RAID array with ext3. After this I chose packages, installed, chose the same kernel (sata.i), and ran lilo. It all worked (after a LOT of coffee and hours wasted) and I booted my new RAID 0 system. Later on I grabbed a new kernel (latest 2.6), compiled it and after some tweaking got that working too.