From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jan 7 18:31:33 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6F5FD106566C for ; Wed, 7 Jan 2009 18:31:33 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gpeel@thenetnow.com) Received: from thenetnow.com (constellation.thenetnow.com [65.39.193.155]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4331F8FC08 for ; Wed, 7 Jan 2009 18:31:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gpeel@thenetnow.com) Received: from hpeel.ody.ca ([216.240.12.2] helo=GRANTPC) by constellation.thenetnow.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.63 (FreeBSD)) (envelope-from ) id 1LKdBj-000E59-UX for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:31:32 -0500 Message-ID: <9F57CF00DDE541E69F500E26B652DDED@GRANTPC> From: "Grant Peel" To: "FreeBSD Questions List" Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 13:31:25 -0500 Organization: The Net Now Internet Services MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5512 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Subject: Replace SCSI Drive X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Grant Peel List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:31:33 -0000 Hi all, I currently have a SCSI drive that *may* be going bad on one of my = production servers. I have lots of backups :-) Scenario: The drive that is showing the occasion error, is a 76 GB Seagate SCSI = 10K spin drive. It is at the network center about 120 miles away. This = drive is not using anywhere near 76 GB, and the server will never need = 76 GB. I estimate its using about 20 GB now. I am at home, and have a barely used 36 GB Seagate 10K SCSI drive here, = currently hooked up to my home (Windows XP BOX) via an Initio SCSI = adaptor. What I would like to do is: Using my windows box, FDISK and set up the disk slices at home, using = some kind of FreeBSD boot disk. I will of course, make sure there is = enough room on each file system to accomodate the data from the other = (going bad) disk. Take the pristine disk to the Network Center, Shut down all software on the machine that has the bad disk, and make = full dumps of all filesystems on that machine (/, /var, /home, /usr) and = move the over to the new formatted drive. Since I have never done this before, I have some questions: !. Can I use a FreeBSD bootable installation disk (6.4) made from an ISO = image, to boot my PC and make the filesystems on the 36GB drive, without = actually installing FreeBSD? (Please feel free to tell me exactly how = :-)). 2. Once I get that drive to the network center, and restore the dumps to = it, how do I ensure the drive is bootable? (I assume I actually do that = in the previous step).=20 3. Is it possible to skip step one altogether and use the instructions = in the man pages regarding "Restoring a filesystem" and makeing the = 'Pristine' filesystem? If so, again, how do I ensure the disk is = bootable? Thanks a billion in advance, -Grant. P.S. I AM reading all the manuals and handbooks, I just can't afford to = mess this up :-)