Configuring Software Raid For The Root Partition; Prerequisites For The Software Raid; Enabling Iscsi Initiator Support At Install Time - Novell LINUX ENTERPRISE SERVER 11 - STORAGE ADMINISTRATION GUIDE 2-23-2010 Administration Manual

Table of Contents

Configuring Software RAID for the

Root Partition

In SUSE

Linux Enterprise Server 11, the Device Mapper RAID tool has been integrated into the

YaST Partitioner. You can use the partitioner at install time to create a software RAID for the system

device that contains your root (

Section 9.1, "Prerequisites for the Software RAID," on page 83

Section 9.2, "Enabling iSCSI Initiator Support at Install Time," on page 83

Section 9.3, "Enabling Multipath I/O Support at Install Time," on page 84

Section 9.4, "Creating a Software RAID Device for the Root (/) Partition," on page 84

9.1 Prerequisites for the Software RAID

Make sure your configuration meets the following requirements:

You need two or more hard drives, depending on the type of software RAID you plan to create.

RAID 0 (Striping): RAID 0 requires two or more devices. RAID 0 offers no fault

tolerance benefits, and it is not recommended for the system device.

RAID 1 (Mirroring): RAID 1 requires two devices.

RAID 5 (Redundant Striping): RAID 5 requires three or more devices.

The hard drives should be similarly sized. The RAID assumes the size of the smallest drive.

The block storage devices can be any combination of local (in or directly attached to the

machine), Fibre Channel storage subsystems, or iSCSI storage subsystems.

If you are using hardware RAID devices, do not attempt to run software RAIDs on top of it.

If you are using iSCSI target devices, enable the iSCSI initiator support before you create the

RAID device.

If your storage subsystem provides multiple I/O paths between the server and its directly

attached local devices, Fibre Channel devices, or iSCSI devices that you want to use in the

software RAID, you must enable the multipath support before you create the RAID device.

9.2 Enabling iSCSI Initiator Support at Install

Time

If there are iSCSI target devices that you want to use for the root (/) partition, you must enable the

iSCSI Initiator software to make those devices available to you before you create the software RAID

device.

1 Proceed with the YaST install of SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 until you reach the Installation

Settings page.

2 Click Partitioning to open the Preparing Hard Disk page, click Custom Partitioning (for

experts), then click Next.

) partition.