Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:48:25 -0700 From: perryh@pluto.rain.com To: xaero@xaerolimit.net Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: New FreeBSD8.2 server install. Message-ID: <4e001489.P5NqrGLSzdQvnn%2BG%perryh@pluto.rain.com> In-Reply-To: <20110620170115.GA25684@gmail.com> References: <20110620170115.GA25684@gmail.com>
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Chris Brennan <xaero@xaerolimit.net> wrote: > 1) 1x150GB PATA/EIDE drive > 2) 2x80GB Drives (1 SATA, 1 PATA/EIDE) > 3) 1x60GB PATA/EIDE drive > 4) 2x40GB PATA/EIDE drives > > The machine is a P4 Prescott, 2.6Ghz Machine (32-bit CPU) ... First, decide whether you're going to use ZFS. Memory size is one factor: based on what I've seen on the lists, ZFS can be made to work in as little as 512MB with some tuning effort, but you'll find it much easier if you have at least 1GB (and more is better, up to the ~3.5GB limit of a 32-bit machine). I personally would not yet attempt an all-ZFS system -- I have seen too many snafus reported, granted for every report on the lists there are likely a dozen or more installations that have had no problems at all. So, if I were going to use ZFS, I would start by installing the base system on UFS on a gmirror using the two 40GB drives -- one at ad0 for booting and the other on a different cable (and, ideally, a different controller -- with 5 PATA drives you're going to need more than the 2 PATA cables originating on the mainboard anyway). The remaining drives can be given to ZFS; others will be better positioned than I to describe how best to configure that mix. If _not_ using ZFS, you get to figure out combinations of gmirror and gconcat to cover most of the space. Leftover chunks can be used for swap or for expendable stuff like /tmp. (There's little point in mirroring swap if your focus is just to avoid losing data should a drive fail. If you're looking to survive a failure without crashing at all you do need to mirror swap, and likely /tmp also.) Here's one config that would mirror all but 10GB of the total; that 10GB could be used as swap (and also as /tmp via swap-backed mdmfs or tmpfs): partition the 150GB drive into 140GB and 10GB gmirror(140,gconcat(60,80S)) gmirror(80P,gconcat(40a,40b)) Here the 80P would be ad0 for booting, and neither of the 40's should be ad1; better yet if they can be (say) ad4 and ad5 rather than ad2 and ad3 (which may share some chipset logic with ad0 and ad1). AFAIK there's no harm in the two drives of a gconcat being on the same cable. Also the 150 and the 60 should not be on the same cable (and ideally not on the same controller).
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