From owner-freebsd-geom@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Feb 3 07:09:28 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-geom@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 896D0106566B; Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:09:28 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rp_freebsd@mac.com) Received: from asmtpout017.mac.com (asmtpout017.mac.com [17.148.16.92]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 70C998FC0A; Fri, 3 Feb 2012 07:09:28 +0000 (UTC) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII Received: from [192.168.1.3] ([98.210.97.211]) by asmtp017.mac.com (Oracle Communications Messaging Server 7u4-23.01 (7.0.4.23.0) 64bit (built Aug 10 2011)) with ESMTPA id <0LYT0024K2JQZ290@asmtp017.mac.com>; Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:09:27 +0000 (GMT) X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=2.50.10432:5.6.7361,1.0.260,0.0.0000 definitions=2012-02-03_02:2012-02-02, 2012-02-03, 1970-01-01 signatures=0 X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 ipscore=0 suspectscore=2 phishscore=0 bulkscore=0 adultscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx scancount=1 engine=6.0.2-1012030000 definitions=main-1202020435 User-Agent: Microsoft-MacOutlook/14.14.0.111121 Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:35:35 -0800 From: Ravi Pokala Sender: Ravi Pokala To: Alexander Motin Message-id: Thread-topic: Bootable RAID10 on 9.0-RELEASE In-reply-to: <4F2B0E74.9070809@FreeBSD.org> Cc: freebsd-geom@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Bootable RAID10 on 9.0-RELEASE X-BeenThere: freebsd-geom@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: GEOM-specific discussions and implementations List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:09:28 -0000 -----Original Message----- From: Alexander Motin Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:30:12 +0200 To: Ravi Pokala Cc: Subject: Re: Bootable RAID10 on 9.0-RELEASE >Hi. > > > I expect there must be an easier way. > >If your system has one of supported software RAID BIOSes (Intel, >AMD/Promise, NVIDIA, SiI, JMicron), you may just use geom_raid to boot >from it's RAID10 volume with no additional magic. I played around with a VM (with all the IO I was doing, I'm real glad it was backed by SSDs!) before I had the actual hardware, and managed to get "close" to what I wanted: 1) Install on a temporary drive. 2) Set up GPT partitions, *including writing the pmbr and gptboot*, on each of the final drives. It took me a few attempts before I realized I was creating the partition table but not installing the bootcode. 3) Use `gmirror' to create a mirror of the partition which will hold the / filesystem, *on all four of the final drives*. That means you will end up with a quadruplicated /. 4) Use `gmirror' to create mirrors of da0pX and da1pX, and da2pX and da3pX on the final drives. 5) Use `gstripe' to create stripes across the corresponding mirrors. 6) Create filesystems on the quadruplicated mirror and the stripes. 7) Add the right entries to /boot/loader.conf, update /etc/fstab, etc. 8) Use 'dump | restore' to copy everything from the temporary drive to the four-way-mirror and the striped-mirrors. 9) Change the boot-order, and make sure you can boot off the four-way mirror and mount the striped-mirrors. When I got a chance to play with the actual hardware, I found that it has an LSI SAS controller which is supported by mfi(4). I ended up setting up the RAID10 in the pre-boot environment, then just creating GPT partitions on mfid0 and going from there. *Much* easier (once I dug up the documentation on LSI's website), works fine, and the interface offered by `mfiutil' looks pretty reasonable. Thanks, rp > >-- >Alexander Motin >_______________________________________________ >freebsd-geom@freebsd.org mailing list >http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-geom >To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-geom-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"