Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2013 18:26:23 +0100 From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> To: "Mike." <the.lists@mgm51.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: gmirror, gpart and MBR vs GPT in the Handbook Message-ID: <20131202182623.43331984.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <201312021213320528.00673D5F@smtp.24cl.home> References: <201311301303210813.05DE187E@smtp.24cl.home> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1311301352140.99113@wonkity.com> <201312011121580096.005D00FB@smtp.24cl.home> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1312011016490.5791@wonkity.com> <201312021213320528.00673D5F@smtp.24cl.home>
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On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 12:13:32 -0500, Mike. wrote: > My understanding is that MBR can be used with drives only up to > and including 2TB in size. So if I use MBR, the maximum drive > size I could use would be 2TB. Is that correct? Don't confuse partitioning schemes and file systems. Both are different things, happening on different "layers". To make it simpler than it probably is: Partitioning = a) MBR with classic tools (fdisk, bsdlabel) b) MBR with modern tool (gpart) c) GPT (gpart) d) Dedicated (only the "bsdlabel part") RAID concepts = a) mirror b) stripe c) combined and extended forms ... File system = a) UFS option +U: soft updates option +J: journal b) ZFS Of course ZFS can handle things like "RAID concepts" already internally, whereas UFS would use gstripe and gmirror as "little helpers" - it will run on top of them, i. e., you initialize the device that represents the whole mirror instead of individually dealing with the drives that the mirror is constructed of. Regarding UFS's 2 TB limitation: http://www.freebsd.org/projects/bigdisk/ Additionally, MBR can be troublesome on bigger hard disks or stripes. http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/bsdinstall-partitioning.html Today's consensus seems to be: If you use ZFS, let ZFS deal with everything. If you use UFS, use gpart for preparation work. Use GPT when possible, MBR only in exceptions, and dedicated if and only if you really _really_ know what you're doing. :-) -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...
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