Mike Frisch writes:
> Looks pretty interesting, but I am not a FBSD user, so I have no idea
> how functional, robust, etc. it is. All I can say is that Linux
> software RAID needs some decent documentation like this.
In the past I was setting up 4 servers using Linux-RAID1:
- 2 with the old-style, RH5.2 stuff
- one upgraded to the new system, after getting too much trouble with
a crashed machine (SCSI parity error): typing "mkraid -o -f ..." isn't
the nicest way to restart a system :-/
- and one even with a mirrored root partition (fingers crossed ;))
All of them are "production" servers, not too heavy loaded, but 2
running Oracle and one acting as application server for Applix and
Java. Beside the "mkraid -o -f"-problem everything works fine, usually
with an uptime of several months.
I am just now setting up two FreeBSD 3.2 machines using vinum. My
first impressions:
- it seems to have more features, though I'm missing a concept for a
mirrored root partition (it may be there, but I haven't found anything
yet). The commandline tool is quite nice and it even has some kind of
logical volume manager (though I'm not convinced that it reaches the
one of HP-UX).
- duplicating a partition layout is much easier :)
- I like the concept of named volumes
- it seems to be more complex than the Linux-system, OTOH there is
more sanity checking.
Conclusion: both aren't on the same level as commercial systems, but
they are on the way to it. Vinum is the more user-friendly approach
while Linux makes the whole thing more transparent (which can be a big
advantage if something goes wrong). Which is more stable? I haven't
had any trouble with Linux (yet) and I hope there won't be any with
vinum :)
Just my $0.02,
Jochen
