On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 08:10:14 +0000 (GMT) [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Hello all, > I've added 4 WD 250Gig IDE 8MB cache hard drives to an existing IDE > fileserver running an ABIT KT7-RAID mainboard with an AMD 1.4GHz CPU and 1 > Gig of ram. There is currently 1 existing 120Gig hard drive containing the > main system and current data. > > These drives will only be used for archiving large (500MB to 700MB) files > of which there will be at least a few hundred. The system has the ability > to have an additional 3 hard drives added at a later date if needed. > > Once setup there will be a second identical server built acting as a > rsynced mirror to be run nightly. This 2nd server is directly connected > via 2nd network cards. > > Access to these files is via Samba on a small but fast local network. I'm > currently looking at using the ext3 filesystem dividing each drive into 5 > 50Gig partitions, setting the Block Size to 4096 and the reserved blocks > percentage option to either 1% or 0%. > > > 1. Is the ext3 filesystem the best choice for this type of job? I've read > where many people have chosen to use the Reiser filesystem for this but I > thought it best suited for small files.
Reiserfs is better for small files. I would go with Xfs here. > > 2. I have not used it before but was thinking of installing LVM (Logical > Volume Manager) along with the ext3 filesystem. Comments? Yes, definitely. Resizing, if required becomes so much easier. > > 3. Is there a problem with setting the reserved blocks percentage 0% or > should I set it to 1%? Don't know enough to advise here. > > 4. Where I'm only using large files, is the Block Size set to 4k by > default ok or should it be changed higher or lower to 2k or 8k? Or here. > > 5. Should the number of inodes be modified in anyway as to not waste > space? I saw this mentioned on another list but I dont quite understand > the benefits. > > 6 Regarding the size of the files would it be better to create the smaller > 50Gig partitions on each drive or used as full 250Gig partitions for each? > > Any comments, opinions and suggestions are more than welcome as I'm really > not to sure what the best way to have such a system properly setup. > > Many thanks!!!! Someone else will have to advise you on the rest. I don't have the experience to advise on your situation, other than what I have. The answers I have given are based on researches I have done while building my new server. Regards, David. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]