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Re: Install onto fakeraid



On Sun, Apr 22, 2007 at 11:02:00PM -0700, Michael Armida wrote:
> My installation saga continues into it's fourth week and I've narrowed 
> down some of the problems in setting up my dual-boot system.  To recap:
> 
> - I have an ASUS m2n SLI mobo with 4 identical SATA drives
> - I would like to use two drives each for two raid1s for windows and debian
> 
> My current issue is getting a setup that plays well with BIOS and 
> booting.  Here are the restrictions on the game as far as I can tell:
> 
> - Windows doesn't like software raid (at least, not without the "server" 
> version)
> - You can't mix and match arrays and non-arrays, meaning the 
> pseudo-hardware onboard raid must either include all four drives in two 
> arrays, or none (all software).
> 

Two ideas that may not help. :)

1.	Buy a SATA card (no raid) for debian to use, leaving the
	on-board fake raid for 'doze.

2.	Install debian on all four drives and use one of the
	virtualization systems (e.g. Xen, but there are many others),
	and install 'doze in a virtual box.

For (2), since you want raid1 you have a couple of choices:

a)	two separate raid1 arrays then a raid0 array made of both, with
	LVM over top.

b)	two separate raid1 arrays then LVM over top with the LVs
	striped.

c)	single 4-disk raid5 array with LVM on top.

Option c gives you the most space efficiency (3 drives worth of data on
4 drives).  In any event, raid arrays can't be easily reconfigured;
think of them as monlithic.  To add space later, create a new array with
new disks, make the array a PV and add it to the applicable VG.  That's
the joy of LVM.

YMMV.

Doug.




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