Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 18:48:43 +0100 From: "Steven Hartland" <killing@multiplay.co.uk> To: "John" <freebsd@growveg.net>, <freebsd-fs@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Dell R710 with PERC H310. GPT issues and hardware raid or ZFS? Message-ID: <81EDE2A7D67241DAB985C38662DA57DD@multiplay.co.uk> References: <51C5B4EE.3010601@growveg.net>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
----- Original Message -----
From: "John" <freebsd@growveg.net>
To: <freebsd-fs@freebsd.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2013 3:30 PM
Subject: Dell R710 with PERC H310. GPT issues and hardware raid or ZFS?
> Hello list,
>
> I have a Dell R710 with PERC H310 using hardware raid5 with 4x3TB disks.
> I tried installing FreeBSD-10 and it defaulted to a GPT partitioning
> scheme. FreeBSD installed OK but, on reboot, it couldn't find the
> kernel. I grabbed freebsd-9.1 and it offered me the choice of
> partitioning schemes.
>
> I had to change the partitioning scheme to "BSD partition" I think it's
> called, in order to get a bootable install. The problem with this is
> that this particular schema can only see about 1TB of space yet there's
> about 10TB there.
>
> Currently, writes are cached on the hardware raid. (Need to tune it up
> because I left all settings at their default in the configuration
> utility. If it does a lot of writes, it will stall as the buffer fills.)
>
> I'm happy to let freebsd have this 1TB to itself if I can somehow get it
> to seethe other 9TB. The purpose of the server is to run virtual boxes.
>
> Hard drive array is seen like this:
>
> mfi0: <Drake Skinny> port 0xfc00-0xfcff mem
> 0xddffc000-0xddffffff,0xddf80000-0xddfbffff irq 42 at device 0.0 on pci2
> mfi0: Using MSI
> mfi0: Megaraid SAS driver Ver 4.23
>
> My questions are:
>
> 0. which is better? ZFS or hardware raid+UFS2?
IMO ZFS. It gives you end to end checksuming, which has saved us more than
once, self healing (no need to do a full array level scrub.
> 1. should I use ZFS on top of the raid5? Guessing not.
You can but I wouldn't advise it, much better to let ZFS have the raw disks.
> 2. should I blat the system and change the raid so it's a JBOD, then
> make it do zfs?
IMO yes.
> 3. what other methods can I use to make the existing install see
> the rest of the space?
Sorry not aware of any.
> 4. how come it could not read the kernel when the partitioning scheme
> was GPT?Is it because it was raid5 in hardware?
Shouldn't be, I've never had an issue booting from GPT installs even with
much older Dell machines.
I see you have an dell + mfi controller, there was an important FW update
released a week or so back do ensure you have that installed or you'll
suffer from nasty IO stalls.
Regards
Steve
================================================
This e.mail is private and confidential between Multiplay (UK) Ltd. and the person or entity to whom it is addressed. In the event of misdirection, the recipient is prohibited from using, copying, printing or otherwise disseminating it or any information contained in it.
In the event of misdirection, illegible or incomplete transmission please telephone +44 845 868 1337
or return the E.mail to postmaster@multiplay.co.uk.
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?81EDE2A7D67241DAB985C38662DA57DD>