[linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Colin Coe]

Hi all

I need to set up a bunch of Linux machines of approximately the following
specs:
- PII 400
- 2 x 20GB HDD
- 256 MB  RAM
- RedHat 7.2

What I want is to use software raid (mirroring) and LVM.  How do I do this
from scratch?  I have looked but can't find a howto on this.  I have
attempted to do this but have run into several problems:
- During RH7.2 install you can choose to install to /dev/md but not LVM
- Once you have installed the OS there is no (easy/intuitive) way to get the
LVM in place

As I have about 130 of these to do, I am toying with the idea of installing
a cut-down Linux system with XFS, LAM, md and ramdisk support and making a
bootable CD-ROM which I can then use to configure the system how I want it.


Thats the plan at the moment, has anyone got a better idea? 


TIA


Colin Coe
AIX/Linux Systems Administrator
Bunnings Building Supplies Pty Ltd



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Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Jesus Manuel NAVARRO LOPEZ]

Hi, Colin:

Colin Coe wrote:

> Hi all
> 
> I need to set up a bunch of Linux machines of approximately the following
> specs:
> - PII 400
> - 2 x 20GB HDD
> - 256 MB  RAM
> - RedHat 7.2
> 
> What I want is to use software raid (mirroring) and LVM.  How do I do this
> from scratch?  I have looked but can't find a howto on this.  I have
> attempted to do this but have run into several problems:
> - During RH7.2 install you can choose to install to /dev/md but not LVM
> - Once you have installed the OS there is no (easy/intuitive) way to get the
> LVM in place
> 
> As I have about 130 of these to do, I am toying with the idea of installing
> a cut-down Linux system with XFS, LAM, md and ramdisk support and making a
> bootable CD-ROM which I can then use to configure the system how I want it.
> 


As you're talking about a farly respectable number of boxes, the 
automated idea seems reasonable.  I would have a look at the LUI project 
from IBM and/or even a physical disk replicator: the first option will 
be better with maintenance in mind, while the second one will be much 
faster.  Anyway, the problem about how to proficiently install 130 boxes 
is orthogonal with the LVM one.

As you say, you can set and install RH7.2 on top an md device, and no, 
RH7.2 installer has no support for LVM so, again due to the high number 
of boxes, I would try to go with something like this:
1/ Try to copy the install CDs to a hard disk (that is to a non 
read-only device).  Look for the RH7.2 install config list to reduce the 
number of packages for the "minimal" installation to a real bare 
minimum.  With this you should be able to reduce the amount of space 
requiered to something below 80/120MB over an md device.
2/ Install the system to a single root partition.  Most probably you 
don't want swap space neither under RAID nor LVM, so that partition will 
be created too.  It migth suppouse something like a 150MB root partition 
(for the whole install) and a 2*RAM swap partition, both as primaries.
3/ Have a newer kernel and patch as needed with LVM, and proper tools
4/ Make the LVM devices on top md mirroring as needed.  Then you should 
decide if you want root on LVM too or not (probably is easier not to 
have / on top of LVM, but that's your decision)
5/ Complete your installation, delete/actualize/add packages as needed, 
and move data to LVM controlled partitions (/usr, /var...)
6/ Mirror this "base" disk, running at the end of the process a 
"cleaning" script (even if you can manage your installation's net 
options through DHCP at least FQDN for that boxes should be fixed)
7/ Test and retest your procedures until you're glad with them
8/ Add to your process the way to remote maintain/actualize those boxes
9/ Polish the documentation you have been putting together till now and 
publish it somewhere as GPL so others can take advantage of your effort.

-- 
SALUD,
Jes�s
***
jesus_navarro@promofinarsa.es
***

Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Lewis Bergman]

> As I have about 130 of these to do, I am toying with the idea of installing
> a cut-down Linux system with XFS, LAM, md and ramdisk support and making a
> bootable CD-ROM which I can then use to configure the system how I want it.
Why not try a distro with installer support?
-- 
Lewis Bergman
Texas Communications
4309 Maple St.
Abilene, TX 79602-8044
915-695-6962 ext 115

Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[mitch]

Doesn't Ghost support Linux / LILO configurations?  That would allow you
to configure up one PC, and duplicate it to 129 others, and it's VERY
quick.  You do, however, still have to make any individualized changes to
each one after the duplication.

-- Mitch



On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, Lewis Bergman wrote:

> > As I have about 130 of these to do, I am toying with the idea of installing
> > a cut-down Linux system with XFS, LAM, md and ramdisk support and making a
> > bootable CD-ROM which I can then use to configure the system how I want it.

Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Theo Van Dinter]

On Tue, Dec 18, 2001 at 08:03:58AM -0600, mitch@mdmiller.com wrote:
> Doesn't Ghost support Linux / LILO configurations?  That would allow you
> to configure up one PC, and duplicate it to 129 others, and it's VERY
> quick.  You do, however, still have to make any individualized changes to
> each one after the duplication.

I've tried using Ghost2k (newer versions may be better) to just backup/copy
my Linux partitions (straight ext2 at the time), and it sucked horribly.  The
biggest problem was a bunch of missing symlinks for libraries which made the
system unbootable.  I don't remember now whether all symlinks were removed,
or if it was just in a certain area, or ...

I went back with Partition Magic and it copied the ext2 fses just fine.

However, I don't expect any of these programs to support anything but
straight partitions and ext2.

-- 
Randomly Generated Tagline:
All the easy problems have been solved.

Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Wolfgang Weisselberg]

Hi, Jesus!

Jesus Manuel NAVARRO LOPEZ (jesus_navarro@promofinarsa.es) wrote 73 lines:
> Colin Coe wrote:

> > As I have about 130 of these to do, I am toying with the idea of installing
> > a cut-down Linux system with XFS, LAM, md and ramdisk support and making a
> > bootable CD-ROM which I can then use to configure the system how I want it.

> As you're talking about a farly respectable number of boxes, the 
> automated idea seems reasonable.  I would have a look at the LUI project 
> from IBM and/or even a physical disk replicator: the first option will 

There is also the FAI project, which AFAIK has found it's way
into Debian by now.  You'll probably want network for it --
a networkcard with bootprom is a real boon there.

    http://www.informatik.uni-koeln.de/fai/

-Wolfgang

RE: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Colin Coe]

Thanks for the responses.  I didn't properly explain the problem properly.
The real problem is getting the LVM installed on to /dev/md0 where /dev/md0
is /dev/hda1 and /dev/hdc1.  I'm still trying to get the first (test) box up
and going properly.

The wishlist
- make the 2 x 20GB drives into /dev/hd[ac]1 partitioned to use the whole
disk
- make /dev/md0 (RAID1) contain both disks
- use pvcreate /dev/md0
- use vgcreate rootvg /dev/md0
- lvcreate ...
- mkfs.xfs /dev/rootvg/...

I don't mind if the setup procedure for the first (test) machine is dodgy
and convoluted, as pointed out I should be able to use Ghost or some other
method to roll the other machines out after.

TIA

CC

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	mitch@mdmiller.com [SMTP:mitch@mdmiller.com]
> Sent:	Tuesday, December 18, 2001 10:04 PM
> To:	linux-lvm@sistina.com
> Subject:	Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions
> 
> Doesn't Ghost support Linux / LILO configurations?  That would allow you
> to configure up one PC, and duplicate it to 129 others, and it's VERY
> quick.  You do, however, still have to make any individualized changes to
> each one after the duplication.
> 
> -- Mitch
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, Lewis Bergman wrote:
> 
> > > As I have about 130 of these to do, I am toying with the idea of
> installing
> > > a cut-down Linux system with XFS, LAM, md and ramdisk support and
> making a
> > > bootable CD-ROM which I can then use to configure the system how I
> want it.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> linux-lvm mailing list
> linux-lvm@sistina.com
> http://lists.sistina.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-lvm
> read the LVM HOW-TO at http://www.sistina.com/lvm/Pages/howto.html

**************************************************************************
Bunnings Legal Disclaimer: 

1) 	This document is confidential and may contain legally privileged 
	information. If you are not the intended recipient you must not 
	read, copy, distribute or act in reliance on it.
	If you have received this document in error, please telephone
	us immediately on (08) 9365-1555. 

2)	All e-mails sent to and sent from Bunnings Building Supplies are
	scanned for content. Any material deemed to contain inappropriate
	subject matter will be reported to the e-mail administrator of
	all parties concerned.

**************************************************************************

Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Jason Edgecombe]

hi,

   I see two options for setting up raid1 (this is whole-disk mirroring, 
right?:

1. configure a system how you like as a raid array with the second disk 
faulty. then duplicate the first hdd using "dd" or something similar.
2. use an automated installer(i.e. Redhat's Kickstart) to install a bare 
bones (non-lvm)root partition on the raid device, then have an 
after-installation program setup lvm and the rest of the system.
BTW, Redhat's installer DOES understand RAID, just not LVM.
(If you're REALLY brave, you could hack LVM support into Redhat's 
installer, but I'm not brave enough for that.)

FYI,
Kickstart info:
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-7.2-Manual/custom-guide/s1-kickstart2-file.html


The @Base Package group contains a bare bones Redhat system, I think 
it's about 200-300MB.

Jason Edgecombe

Colin Coe wrote:

> Thanks for the responses.  I didn't properly explain the problem properly.
> The real problem is getting the LVM installed on to /dev/md0 where /dev/md0
> is /dev/hda1 and /dev/hdc1.  I'm still trying to get the first (test) box up
> and going properly.
> 
> The wishlist
> - make the 2 x 20GB drives into /dev/hd[ac]1 partitioned to use the whole
> disk
> - make /dev/md0 (RAID1) contain both disks
> - use pvcreate /dev/md0
> - use vgcreate rootvg /dev/md0
> - lvcreate ...
> - mkfs.xfs /dev/rootvg/...
> 
> I don't mind if the setup procedure for the first (test) machine is dodgy
> and convoluted, as pointed out I should be able to use Ghost or some other
> method to roll the other machines out after.
> 
> TIA
> 
> CC
> 
> 
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From:	mitch@mdmiller.com [SMTP:mitch@mdmiller.com]
>>Sent:	Tuesday, December 18, 2001 10:04 PM
>>To:	linux-lvm@sistina.com
>>Subject:	Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions
>>
>>Doesn't Ghost support Linux / LILO configurations?  That would allow you
>>to configure up one PC, and duplicate it to 129 others, and it's VERY
>>quick.  You do, however, still have to make any individualized changes to
>>each one after the duplication.
>>
>>-- Mitch
>>
>>
>>
>>On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, Lewis Bergman wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>As I have about 130 of these to do, I am toying with the idea of
>>>>
>>installing
>>
>>>>a cut-down Linux system with XFS, LAM, md and ramdisk support and
>>>>
>>making a
>>
>>>>bootable CD-ROM which I can then use to configure the system how I
>>>>
>>want it.

Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Petro]

On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 03:52:31PM -0500, Jason Edgecombe wrote:
> hi,
>   I see two options for setting up raid1 (this is whole-disk mirroring, 
> right?:
> (If you're REALLY brave, you could hack LVM support into Redhat's 
> installer, but I'm not brave enough for that.)
 
    If it's the same installer they used with 6.x and 7.0, that's not
    brave. 

    Brave is rushing into a fire to save someones life. 

    Foolhardy is drinking a pint of LSD-25. 

    Going inside the kickstart stuff is foolhardy. Trust me, I had it
    this >< close to doing things it just wasn't meant to do (picking a
    set of RPMs to install based on the name of the machine), and it
    'bout drove me nucking futz. 

-- 
Share and Enjoy. 

Re: [linux-lvm] Implementation questions

[Luca Berra]

On Tue, Dec 18, 2001 at 09:33:15AM -0500, Theo Van Dinter wrote:
> On Tue, Dec 18, 2001 at 08:03:58AM -0600, mitch@mdmiller.com wrote:
> > Doesn't Ghost support Linux / LILO configurations?  That would allow you
> > to configure up one PC, and duplicate it to 129 others, and it's VERY
> > quick.  You do, however, still have to make any individualized changes to
> > each one after the duplication.
> 
> I've tried using Ghost2k (newer versions may be better) to just backup/copy
> my Linux partitions (straight ext2 at the time), and it sucked horribly.  The
why don't you give Partition Image a try
http://www.partimage.org/

it supports
reiserfs, ext2/ext3, fat16/fat32
ntfs (experimental but i successfully cloned a win2k box)
jfs, xfs, hpfs (os2), hfs (mac), ufs (bsd/sun experimental)

L.

-- 
Luca Berra -- bluca@comedia.it
        Communication Media & Services S.r.l.
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