[linux-lvm] LVM over IP network

[linux-lvm] LVM over IP network

[rarulselvan]

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Hello, 

I have 10 Dell workstation on a LAN. Each  workstation has 80 GB hard drive. Two workstations consumed most of the disk space and remaining eight workstations still has plenty of disk space unused.
 
I am trying to find an optimized way to use the excess space on the those harddrives (about 80 GB x 8 = 800GB) that are scattered over 8 different workstations connected in the LAN.
 
I do understand that LVM and EVMS are quite useful for managing the disk space in given work station. So I am wondering if there is such thing as LVM over IP network ? so that I can maximize my disk usage. If not, what is my other choice ? 
 
What I want basically, if I could just collect those 800 GB excess space (not utilized) and assign it to the work stations starving for disk space. Is this achievable through LVM or EVMS?
 
Thanks for any thoughts or info. 
 
Arul

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Re: [linux-lvm] LVM over IP network

[Zac Slade]

On Friday 07 April 2006 07:59, rarulselvan@sify.com wrote:
> I do understand that LVM and EVMS are quite useful for managing the disk
> space in given work station. So I am wondering if there is such thing as
> LVM over IP network ? so that I can maximize my disk usage. If not, what is
> my other choice ?
Why not?  Using iSCSI or ATAoE you can export the extra space from each of the 
system as devices that will appear to be block devices.  From there you can 
add them to a vg anytime you want.  Just be careful how you do it because if 
one of the systems goes off the network you will not have access to the data 
from that drive.  Also I'm not so sure how well LVM deals with having a drive 
dissappear out from underneath it.

-- 
Zac Slade
krakrjak@volumehost.net
ICQ:1415282 YM:krakrjak AIM:ttyp99

Re: [linux-lvm] LVM over IP network

[Ming Zhang]

On Fri, 2006-04-07 at 22:16 -0500, Zac Slade wrote:
> On Friday 07 April 2006 07:59, rarulselvan@sify.com wrote:
> > I do understand that LVM and EVMS are quite useful for managing the disk
> > space in given work station. So I am wondering if there is such thing as
> > LVM over IP network ? so that I can maximize my disk usage. If not, what is
> > my other choice ?
> Why not?  Using iSCSI or ATAoE you can export the extra space from each of the 
> system as devices that will appear to be block devices.  From there you can 
> add them to a vg anytime you want.  Just be careful how you do it because if 
> one of the systems goes off the network you will not have access to the data 
> from that drive.  Also I'm not so sure how well LVM deals with having a drive 
> dissappear out from underneath it.

if one PV lose. u can active a partial VG and do read only LV on good
PVs.

ps, i do not understand why LV only allow read only access. anybody know
why?

ming

Re: [linux-lvm] LVM over IP network

[Sander Steffann]

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Hi,
  I have 10 Dell workstation on a LAN. Each  workstation has 80
  GB hard drive. Two workstations consumed most of the disk space and
  remaining eight workstations still has plenty of disk space unused.

  ...

  What I want basically, if I could just collect those 800 GB
  excess space (not utilized) and assign it to the work stations starving
  for disk space. Is this achievable through LVM or EVMS?
I would never do something like this. You make each workstation dependent on all the other workstations. If one of them is turned off, crashes, dies, etc. your other workstations lose their data. Disks are cheap these days. Just buy an extra drive for the workstations that need it.

Good luck,
Sander

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Re: [linux-lvm] LVM over IP network

[Ming Zhang]

On Sun, 2006-04-09 at 01:19 +0200, Sander Steffann wrote:
> Hi,
>         I have 10 Dell workstation on a LAN. Each  workstation has 80
>         GB hard drive. Two workstations consumed most of the disk
>         space and
>         remaining eight workstations still has plenty of disk space
>         unused.
>         
>         ...
>          
>         What I want basically, if I could just collect those 800 GB
>         excess space (not utilized) and assign it to the work stations
>         starving
>         for disk space. Is this achievable through LVM or EVMS?
> I would never do something like this. You make each workstation
> dependent on all the other workstations. If one of them is turned off,
> crashes, dies, etc. your other workstations lose their data. Disks are
> cheap these days. Just buy an extra drive for the workstations that
> need it.
>  
> Good luck,
> Sander

or put all these disks in one box and let other boxes boot from iscsi
and use centralized ip storage.


>  
> _______________________________________________
> linux-lvm mailing list
> linux-lvm@redhat.com
> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/linux-lvm
> read the LVM HOW-TO at http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/

Re: [linux-lvm] LVM over IP network

[Zac Slade]

On Monday 10 April 2006 11:33, Ming Zhang wrote:
> or put all these disks in one box and let other boxes boot from iscsi
> and use centralized ip storage.
This is the most sensible thought.  It's almost like nfs root only a little 
bit better.  They might need a CD burned that has a kernel and initramfs that 
loads the kernel and modules then loads their rootfs via iSCSI.

Good idea Ming!
-- 
Zac Slade
krakrjak@volumehost.net
ICQ:1415282 YM:krakrjak AIM:ttyp99

Re: [linux-lvm] LVM over IP network

[Ming Zhang]

On Tue, 2006-04-11 at 01:29 -0500, Zac Slade wrote:
> On Monday 10 April 2006 11:33, Ming Zhang wrote:
> > or put all these disks in one box and let other boxes boot from iscsi
> > and use centralized ip storage.
> This is the most sensible thought.  It's almost like nfs root only a little 
> bit better.  They might need a CD burned that has a kernel and initramfs that 
> loads the kernel and modules then loads their rootfs via iSCSI.

no, u do not need a cd at all. 

http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=14610082
http://groups.google.com/group/open-iscsi/browse_thread/thread/714c8d822df99285/fae407856ec7e744%23fae407856ec7e744

google it or check those iscsi lists, there are such info available.



> 
> Good idea Ming!