Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Fri, 17 May 2013 20:03:30 -0400
From:      Paul Kraus <paul@kraus-haus.org>
To:        "bsd@todoo.biz" <bsd@todoo.biz>
Cc:        Liste FreeBSD <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: ZFS install on a partition
Message-ID:  <5FB78660-EDA4-40DB-8A0D-B0DE23A0FB6C@kraus-haus.org>
In-Reply-To: <F744BBF1-D98C-47BF-9546-14D1A9CB3733@todoo.biz>
References:  <F744BBF1-D98C-47BF-9546-14D1A9CB3733@todoo.biz>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On May 17, 2013, at 6:24 PM, "bsd@todoo.biz" <bsd@todoo.biz> wrote:

> I know I should install a system using HBA and JBOD configuration - =
but unfortunately this is not an option for this server.=20

I ran many ZFS pools on top of hardware raid units, because that is what =
we had. It works fine and the NVRAM write cache of the better hardware =
raid systems give you a performance boost.

> What would you advise ?=20
>=20
> 1. Can I use an existing partition and setup ZFS on this partition =
using a standard Zpool (no RAID).=20

Sure. Be careful when you say RAID=85 I assume you mean RAIDz<n> =
configured top level vdevs. Remember, a mirror is RAID-1 and the base =
ZFS striping is considered RAID-0. So set it up as plain stripe of one =
vdev :-)

> 2. Should I use any other solution in order to setup this (like full =
ZFS install on disk using the entire pool with ZFS).=20

If the system is configured with existing LUNS use them.

> 3. Should I avoid using ZFS since my system is not well tuned and It =
would be asking for trouble to use ZFS in these conditions.=20

No. One of the biggest benefits of ZFS is the end to end data integrity. =
IF there is a silent fault in the HW RAID (it happens), ZFS will detect =
the corrupt data and note it. If you had a mirror or other redundant =
device, ZFS would then read the data from the *other* copy and rewrite =
the bad block (or mark that physical block bad and use another).

> P.S. Stability is a must for this system - so I won't die if you =
answer "3" and tell me to keep on using UFS.=20

ZFS is stable, it is NOT as tuned as UFS just due to age. UFS in all of =
it's various incarnations has been tuned far more than any filesystem =
has any right to be. I spent many years managing Solaris system and I =
was truly amazed at how tuned the Solaris version of UFS was.

I have been running a number of 9.0 and 9.1 servers in production, all =
running ZFS for both OS and data, with no FS related issues.

>=20
>=20
> Thanks.=20
>=20
>=20
> ________________________________________________
> =AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB=
?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7
> =AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=
=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF
> BSD - BSD - BSD - BSD - BSD - BSD - BSD - BSD -
> ________________________________________________
> =AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB=
?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7=AB?=BB=A5=AB?=BB=A7
> =AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=
=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF=AF
> PGP ID --> 0x1BA3C2FD
>=20
> _______________________________________________
> freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list
> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions
> To unsubscribe, send any mail to =
"freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"

--
Paul Kraus
Deputy Technical Director, LoneStarCon 3
Sound Coordinator, Schenectady Light Opera Company




Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?5FB78660-EDA4-40DB-8A0D-B0DE23A0FB6C>