Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 12:32:58 -0500 From: "Brandon S. DeYoung" <brandon@schoolpeople.net> To: <freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Hardware RAID, Vinum and a (rather wacky?) idea Message-ID: <007701bff4cc$0c031ea0$82571c18@austin.rr.com>
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Hello all,
I just had an idea that I'd like to bounce of some of you which may =
have some insight into both the problem and my attempt at a solution.
Problem #1: Hardware/SCSI RAID is expensive.
Problem #2: Vinum (or any OS controlled soft RAID system) has serious =
drawbacks.
What's wrong with vinum?
If I understand it correctly. When using vinum, the / partition cannot =
be in the array. This means that if you lose the disk which has the =
kernel on it you're forced into using a rescue floppy or something like =
it to recover data if the system crashes when the drive fails.
I'm about to order a few Single Board Computer (SBC) systems which all =
have sockets for an M-Systems DiskOnChip (DOC) Solid State Disk. I was =
thinking that if the DOC is supported by FreeBSD, I could buy a 32MB =
solid state disk, mount the / partition there. Then mirror all the other =
partitions (except swap) with vinum on a couple cheap yet huge IDE =
drives.
Hot swap? I remember reading a posting a while back in which the writer =
claimed that if he unmounted an IDE drive first it could be removed from =
the system without causing any problems. I've been too scared to try =
this yet, is it accurate?
Whachya think Mike? Will this work or am I just in need of a very long =
vacation?
~Brandon
...It don't mean a thing=20
If you cain't get that ping...
Brandon S. DeYoung =20
Systems Integration Manager
SchoolPeople=20
brandon@schoolpeople.net=20
=20
=20
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<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Hello =
all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> I just had an idea =
that I'd like=20
to bounce of some of you which may have some insight into both the =
problem and=20
my attempt at a solution.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Problem #1: Hardware/SCSI RAID is=20
expensive.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Problem #2: Vinum (or any OS controlled =
soft RAID=20
system) has serious drawbacks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What's wrong with vinum?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If I understand it correctly. When =
using vinum, the=20
/ partition cannot be in the array. This means that if you lose the disk =
which=20
has the kernel on it you're forced into using a rescue floppy or =
something=20
like it to recover data if the system crashes when the drive=20
fails.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I'm about to order a few Single Board =
Computer=20
(SBC) systems which all have sockets for an M-Systems <FONT=20
size=3D2>DiskOnChip (DOC) Solid State Disk. I was thinking that if the =
DOC is=20
supported by FreeBSD, I could buy a 32MB solid state disk, mount the / =
partition=20
there. Then mirror all the other partitions (except swap) with vinum on =
a couple=20
cheap yet huge IDE drives.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hot swap? I remember reading a posting =
a while back=20
in which the writer claimed that if he unmounted an IDE drive first it =
could be=20
removed from the system without causing any problems. I've been too =
scared to=20
try this yet, is it accurate?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Whachya think Mike? Will this work or =
am I just in=20
need of a very long vacation?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>~Brandon</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 =
Transitional//EN"></P><B><I><FONT=20
face=3DGeorgia size=3D2>
<P>...It don't mean a thing <BR>If you cain't get that =
ping...</P></B></I>
<P>Brandon S. DeYoung </FONT><FONT =
face=3DGeorgia><BR></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DGeorgia size=3D2>Systems Integration =
Manager</FONT><BR></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DGeorgia size=3D2>SchoolPeople </FONT><BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:brandon@schoolpeople.net"><FONT face=3DGeorgia=20
size=3D2>brandon@schoolpeople.net</FONT></A><FONT face=3DGeorgia>=20
</P></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><STRONG> =20
</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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