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Date:      Sun, 27 Jan 2013 22:05:05 -0800
From:      Michael Sierchio <kudzu@tenebras.com>
To:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: ZFS - whole disk or partition or BSD slice?
Message-ID:  <CAHu1Y73i0645eP_M1fogOtUAuVw-Fb4c7f%2B-rFX%2B6z7-4ea9nw@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <5105D611.4000506@ShaneWare.Biz>
References:  <5105BEE4.4030402@mansionfamily.plus.com> <5105D611.4000506@ShaneWare.Biz>

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On Sun, Jan 27, 2013 at 5:36 PM, Shane Ambler <FreeBSD@shaneware.biz> wrote:

> I recall reading that using partitions for zfs on FreeBSD was as good as
> full disks.

No, it isn't - ZFS can fully utilize disk caches when presented with
whole devices. There are possible reasons to create partitions - one
being that if an unfriendly OS sees the device, it won't try to
initialize it if it sees a partition map.  Another is using a cheap
RAID controller that can't be fully disabled - in which case you
generally need to create a partition that doesn't include the last few
sectors of the disk, where such controllers keep magic data.

- M



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