[CentOS] expert guideance needed on arrays with CentOS 4 installed on dual processor compaq server

[Jim Wildman]

On Sun, 14 Aug 2005, Robert Hanson wrote:

> Should I have autopartitioned?

One reason for partitioning is to separate data from programs.  The
autopartioning default does not allow for this.  In a production server,
I usually want / /boot, /var, /home and /data.  It is a somewhat
religious preference

> Is LVM the best way to manage RAID5 on CentOS?
Not really.  LVM is most useful where you will need to grow the volumes
onto new drives.  That's not going to happen.

> What other tools are there on a default CentOS 4 install to manage my array?
You have to get the tools from HP/Compaq.  Linux thinks you have a
single 50G drive.  All drive tools will only act on that one drive.
They may be on your smartstart cd.  cpqarray is and cpqacli are what you
want.

> What tools should i install with yum install to learn more and help me with
> this situation?
> 
> If i shutdown the machine, and yank out any drive, and replace it with an
> identical drive and fire the unit back up, it asks me if i want to rebuild
> the data.
> 
> Are these Compaq arrays "hot swap" like i think they are?
Yes.  You can swap with it on.

> 
> How "long" does that usually take for it to rebuild by the controller?
> Hours? Days? Months? ;->
Minutes to hours, depending on load and how much data you have.

> 
> Remember, this is a (4) 18gig drive system.
> 
> Should I allow the machine to be in production, online, up and running while
> it is rebuilding the 4th disk?
that's the idea.  But test first.

> 
> Yes, I get the error from the kernel...
> 
> non fatal error on ida/c0d0
> 
> ....while the machine appears to be rebuilding the 4th disk in the array...
> 
> 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Wildman, CISSP, RHCE       jim at rossberry.com http://www.rossberry.com
"Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best
state, is a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one."
Thomas Paine