From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Aug 20 09:29:23 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E75DC106568B for ; Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:29:23 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from seba@sebaseidl.com) Received: from mail.sebaseidl.com (dyn-86.105.65.105.tm.upcnet.ro [86.105.65.105]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9FC638FC60 for ; Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:29:23 +0000 (UTC) Received: from [192.168.0.10] (unknown [192.168.0.10]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) (Authenticated sender: seba@sebaseidl.com) by mail.sebaseidl.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1B8A15644A; Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:13:52 +0300 (EEST) Message-ID: <4A8D13CA.7090504@sebaseidl.com> Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:13:46 +0300 From: Sebastian Seidl User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.22 (Windows/20090605) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Erik Norgaard References: <4A8A5887.1080304@locolomo.org> <20090818171528.GA35403@slackbox.xs4all.nl> <4A8BB0E4.2020806@locolomo.org> <20090819160956.GA71105@slackbox.xs4all.nl> <4A8CFCC5.4070303@locolomo.org> In-Reply-To: <4A8CFCC5.4070303@locolomo.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Recovering files after a crash X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:29:24 -0000 Erik Norgaard wrote: > Roland Smith wrote: >> On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 09:59:32AM +0200, Erik Norgaard wrote: >>> Thanks, I couldn't decipher these GEOM_LABEL messages, nice to know >>> that I can stop worrying. But for future incidents, the second >>> question remains: >>> >>> 1. How do I best protect my system from disk errors in case of a crash? >> >> One word: _backups_! >> >>> I have a headless system with no spare head to attach and doing >>> single-user blind-folded is further complicated by the fact that I'm >>> not native to the US keyboard layout, so my top priority is that it >>> boots. >> >> If you can connect it to another system (that has a monitor) via a >> serial >> null-modem cable and you enable the serial console (see the >> Handbook), you can >> watch the boot process from the other system. >> >> If you don't have anothe machine closeby, you should get a >> network-accessible >> KVM switch with serial connectors. [maybe something like this: >> http://www.knuerr.com/web/en/products/kvm/kvm-switch-dominion-ksx.html] >> With such a switch and the serial console you should be able to watch >> the boot >> of the machine remotely. > > Ok, maybe I didn't make myself clear: I wish to protect my filesystem > against corruption in case of a crash such that it will boot. > > - How can I configure my system to reduce the probability that a crash > will cause file system inconsistencies that require single user mode > intervention? > > backups does not answer that question, they are great for recovering > lost data but don't prevent the crash. > > KVM and serial console don't answer the question either. Certainly, it > makes it easier to work headless. But neither prevent disk corruption. > > UPS reduces the likelyhood of a crash in case of a power failure, but > that doesn't answer the question either. > > Asume that a crash will happen, how do I prevent or reduce the risk of > a crash causing disk corruption such that the system will boot up > nicely again? > > BR, Erik If u want to reduce the posibility of data corruption I sugest using a smart UPS with management software installed and configured so that before battery power goes out it will do a clean shutdown and also restart the system when AC power is restored (see apcupsd). That is what I'm using. Regards, Sebastian Seidl