[CentOS] 4 X 500 gb drives - best software raid config for abackup server?

Thu Feb 19 17:06:01 UTC 2009
Bob Hoffman <bob at bobhoffman.com>

 

> Subject: Re: [CentOS] 4 X 500 gb drives - best software raid 
> config for abackup server?
> > Hi there,
> > I am currently setting up a server that will house my 
> backups (simply 
> > using rsync).
> > 
> > This system has 4 X 500 gb drives and I am looking to raid for max 
> > drive space and data safety. Performance is not so much a concern.
> > 
> > My experience with software raids in nil, so some of these may seem 
> > like pretty dumb questions.
> > 
> > I was thinking a raid 1 is probably sufficient.
> > 
> > Would it be best to raid 1 two drives each and LVM them together?
> > 
> > My next question would be about how to do this as I have 
> never done a 
> > linux software raid.

You are in luck. I never did one before when I started too. I did a step by
step procedure that covers adding and removing drives... For centos 5.x,
with 4 drives.
http://www.bobhoffman.com/wordpress/?page_id=44

This will take 2 drives into a raid 1, with LVM and all that.
IT adds a third drive as a hot spare incase one fails.
It adds a fourth as a standalone backup (good for a rync of the raid)

Just remember to wait for the drives to sync up before doing too much.

This is a step by step for newbs like me and is perfectly tailored for what
you need.
Let me know if you have any issues.