From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Apr 25 08:51:50 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 12C9C37B401 for ; Fri, 25 Apr 2003 08:51:50 -0700 (PDT) Received: from gatekeeper.oremut01.us.wh.verio.net (gatekeeper.oremut01.us.wh.verio.net [198.65.168.16]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 65B3143FB1 for ; Fri, 25 Apr 2003 08:51:47 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from fclift@verio.net) Received: from mx.dmz.orem.verio.net (mx.dmz.orem.verio.net [10.1.1.10]) 248B73BF2D0 for ; Fri, 25 Apr 2003 09:51:47 -0600 (MDT) Received: from vespa.dmz.orem.verio.net (vespa.dmz.orem.verio.net [10.1.1.59]) by mx.dmz.orem.verio.net (8.11.6p2/8.11.6) with ESMTP id h3PFpfF75248; Fri, 25 Apr 2003 09:51:46 -0600 (MDT) Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 09:56:08 -0600 (MDT) From: Fred Clift X-X-Sender: To: Andrew Kinney In-Reply-To: <3EA8F430.11277.77B4EF97@localhost> Message-ID: <20030425095350.I69705-100000@vespa.dmz.orem.verio.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: dump routine for mlx devices X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 15:51:50 -0000 On Fri, 25 Apr 2003, Andrew Kinney wrote: > than others. The obvious problem with using an IDE hard drive for > crash dumps is that it represents a single point of failure that could > bring the system down if the disk went bad while it was included in > the swap space. You wouldn't necessarily have to use the disk for swap space - just set it up as your dump device, but dont use it for swap at all. The only time the disk would be used would be for crashdumps, and is less likley to get in the way of the box properly functioning. Of course, the controller/drive electronics could wig and prevent the box from booting, or take it down while running, but the risk is greatly reduced if you only ever use this for dumping, and not for swap... Then of course you have to spend an extra $100 on hardware that just consumes power and most of the time provides no bennefit... Fred -- Fred Clift - fclift@verio.net -- Remember: If brute force doesn't work, you're just not using enough.