Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
On 9/9/21 11:52 PM, Robert Arkiletian wrote: On Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 11:14 AM David Christensen wrote: On 9/8/21 11:07 PM, Robert Arkiletian wrote: Installing Debian 11 with netinst CD on a server with hardware raid. Installer has no custom format parameters option for ext4, like stride and stripe_width. How does one format the raid partitions with these options during OS installation? What is the make and model of your server, or motherboard? Technical documentation URL? https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/QPI/5500/X8DTi-LN4F.cfm The Supermicro X8DTi-LN4F User's Manual, section 1-1 Overview, Onboard I/O states: Intel ICH10R supports six SATA2 ports (with RAID0, RAID1, RAID10, RAID5 supported in the Windows OS Environment) (Note 1) So, I would forget about motherboard RAID. If you want to do RAID with disks connected to the the motherboard SATA ports, use software RAID via Linux md, LVM, btrfs, ZFS, etc.. What is the make and model of your RAID expansion card(s)? Technical documentation URL? Areca arc-1220 https://www.areca.com.tw/chinaweb/products/pcie.htm The Areca SATA RAID Cards USER Manual Version: 4.1 Issue Date: August, 2009, section 1.1 Overview, Easy RAID Management states: "The SATA RAID controller utilizes built-in firmware with an embed- ded terminal emulation that can access via hot key at M/B BIOS boot-up screen. This pre-boot manager utility can be used to sim- plify the setup and management of the RAID controller. The con- troller firmware also contains a web browser-based program that can be accessed through the ArcHttp proxy server function in Win- dows, Linux, FreeBSD and more environments. This web browser- based McRAID storage manager utility allows both local and remote creation and modification RAID sets, volume sets, and monitoring of RAID status from standard web browsers." Section 3.1 Starting the McBIOS RAID Manager states: "The McBIOS RAID manager message remains on your screen for about nine seconds, giving you time to start the configuration menu by pressing Tab or F6." I would invoke the McBIOS RAID manager during POST to configure RAID volume(s) for the disks that are connected to this card. Search the Areca site, Areac community, STFW in general, etc., for advise on how to set up RAID for your number of disks and intended workload. How many disks do you have, how many RAID's do you want, how many drives in each RAID, and what are the intended workloads of each RAID? After Debian is installed, I would download the Linux Driver/ Utility and see what it has to offer (e.g. look for a README, etc.), but I would not install it immediately. Being able to monitor the card from Debian is very useful, but I have destabilized systems by downloading and compiling/ installing third party software and/or drivers. I would look for an Areca community and search for posts by people using that specific card, your specific release of Debian, and that specific version of the Driver/ Utility. Or, join and post a question for same. David
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
On Fri, Sep 10, 2021, 1:31 AM Robert Arkiletian wrote: > On Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:28 AM IL Ka wrote: > >> > ... > > > > > With full DVD installer in "Advanced Options -> Expert install" after > "Load installer components" you can open the second console (ALT+F2) and > run ``mkfs`` manually with any option you like > > Not sure if it works with netinst. > > > > Thank you, I tested in a VM and I was successful with the netinst cd. > Was able to partition and format manually in a second console after > "Load installer components" but importantly before "Detect disks", > then when one gets to "Partitioning" you have the option to NOT format > the partitions, but one can still set mount points, etc.. which is > what I wanted. > I've encountered this part of the "workflow" before and found it non-intuitive. And I've worked at businesses where it's used as one excuse to choose hardware RAID (Dell PERC say) or md drivers for RAID. Then the folly is revealed :-) and they just go to full virtualisation. At cost. >
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
On Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 11:24 AM Michael Stone wrote: > > On Wed, Sep 08, 2021 at 11:07:06PM -0700, Robert Arkiletian wrote: > >Installing Debian 11 with netinst CD on a server with hardware raid. > >Installer has no custom format parameters option for ext4, like stride > >and stripe_width. How does one format the raid partitions with these > >options during OS installation? > > In general they aren't necessary these days, as the parameters can be > obtained from the hardware automatically. If the hardware doesn't > support that, it probably isn't a situation where setting it manually > will matter. > The hardware is very old so I don't think the OS knows that I'm using raid 10 with 6 spinning sata disks.
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
On Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 11:14 AM David Christensen wrote: > > On 9/8/21 11:07 PM, Robert Arkiletian wrote: > > Installing Debian 11 with netinst CD on a server with hardware raid. > > Installer has no custom format parameters option for ext4, like stride > > and stripe_width. How does one format the raid partitions with these > > options during OS installation? > > > What is the make and model of your server, or motherboard? Technical > documentation URL? https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/QPI/5500/X8DTi-LN4F.cfm > > > What is the make and model of your RAID expansion card(s)? Technical > documentation URL? Areca arc-1220 https://www.areca.com.tw/chinaweb/products/pcie.htm
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
On Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:28 AM IL Ka wrote: >> ... > > With full DVD installer in "Advanced Options -> Expert install" after "Load > installer components" you can open the second console (ALT+F2) and run > ``mkfs`` manually with any option you like > Not sure if it works with netinst. > Thank you, I tested in a VM and I was successful with the netinst cd. Was able to partition and format manually in a second console after "Load installer components" but importantly before "Detect disks", then when one gets to "Partitioning" you have the option to NOT format the partitions, but one can still set mount points, etc.. which is what I wanted.
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
On Wed, Sep 08, 2021 at 11:07:06PM -0700, Robert Arkiletian wrote: Installing Debian 11 with netinst CD on a server with hardware raid. Installer has no custom format parameters option for ext4, like stride and stripe_width. How does one format the raid partitions with these options during OS installation? In general they aren't necessary these days, as the parameters can be obtained from the hardware automatically. If the hardware doesn't support that, it probably isn't a situation where setting it manually will matter.
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
On 9/8/21 11:07 PM, Robert Arkiletian wrote: Installing Debian 11 with netinst CD on a server with hardware raid. Installer has no custom format parameters option for ext4, like stride and stripe_width. How does one format the raid partitions with these options during OS installation? What is the make and model of your server, or motherboard? Technical documentation URL? What is the make and model of your RAID expansion card(s)? Technical documentation URL? David
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
Greg Wooledge wrote: > It should work exactly the same way. The only difference between a > "netinst" image and a "DVD-1" image is the number of optional packages > that are on the physical medium. One other difference: the DVD-1 install will leave you with an entry in /etc/apt/sources.list pointing to the DVD as a source of packages. Not relevant here. -dsr-
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
On Thu, Sep 09, 2021 at 10:27:54AM +0300, IL Ka wrote: > > > > Installing Debian 11 with netinst CD on a server with hardware raid. > > Installer has no custom format parameters option for ext4, like stride > > and stripe_width. How does one format the raid partitions with these > > options during OS installation? > > > > With full DVD installer in "Advanced Options -> Expert install" after "Load > installer components" you can open the second console (ALT+F2) and run > ``mkfs`` manually with any option you like > Not sure if it works with netinst. It should work exactly the same way. The only difference between a "netinst" image and a "DVD-1" image is the number of optional packages that are on the physical medium.
Re: How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
> > Installing Debian 11 with netinst CD on a server with hardware raid. > Installer has no custom format parameters option for ext4, like stride > and stripe_width. How does one format the raid partitions with these > options during OS installation? > With full DVD installer in "Advanced Options -> Expert install" after "Load installer components" you can open the second console (ALT+F2) and run ``mkfs`` manually with any option you like Not sure if it works with netinst.
How to format with stride/stripe_width options during install
Installing Debian 11 with netinst CD on a server with hardware raid. Installer has no custom format parameters option for ext4, like stride and stripe_width. How does one format the raid partitions with these options during OS installation?
