Exploring RAID in OpenSUSE 11.1 Part 1

Exploring RAID in OpenSUSE 11.1

Before we delve further into the configuration of RAID on my Linux server, let’s look at the hard disk configuration.

neptune:~ # fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 30.7 GB, 30750031872 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3738 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk identifier: 0x63f49bdd

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/sda1 1 13 104391 83 Linux

/dev/sda2 14 535 4192965 fd Linux raid autodetect

/dev/sda3 536 1057 4192965 fd Linux raid autodetect

/dev/sda4 * 1058 3738 21535132+ 5 Extended

/dev/sda5 1058 1188 1052226 82 Linux swap / Solaris

/dev/sda6 1189 2208 8193118+ 83 Linux

/dev/sda7 2209 3738 12289693+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/md0: 4293 MB, 4293525504 bytes

2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 1048224 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 8 * 512 = 4096 bytes

Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/md0 doesn’t contain a valid partition table

Define RAID Level

Define RAID level and the number of devices in the array

neptune:~ # mdadm –create /dev/md0 –level=1 –raid-devices=2 /dev/sda2 /dev/sda3

mdadm: device /dev/sda2 not suitable for any style of array

Format the RAID with the filesystem of your choice.

neptune:~ # mkfs.ext3 /dev/md0

mke2fs 1.41.1 (01-Sep-2008)

Filesystem label=

OS type: Linux

Block size=4096 (log=2)

Fragment size=4096 (log=2)

262144 inodes, 1048224 blocks

52411 blocks (5.00%) reserved for the super user

First data block=0

Maximum filesystem blocks=1073741824

32 block groups

32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group

8192 inodes per group

Superblock backups stored on blocks:

32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736

Writing inode tables: done

Creating journal (16384 blocks): done

Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done

This filesystem will be automatically checked every 28 mounts or

180 days, whichever comes first. Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.