Linux Software RAID and LVM

Wouter configured my nas with two raid1 setups and two lvm partitions like this:

md0 = sdb1 + sdd1
md1 = sda1 + sdc1

/    mounted on wolf/root on md1
swap mounted on wolf/swap on md0

What I wanted was raid5 with four disks, but without rebooting (and possibly bricking) the intel SS4000. Like this:

md0 = sda1 + sdb1 + sdc1 + sdd1
/ mounted on wolf/root on md0

Step 1: remove the swap partition:

swapoff /dev/wolf/swap
vi /etc/fstab
lvremove wolf/swap

Step 2: remove md0 from lvm and stop the raid1

vgreduce wolf /dev/md0
pvremove /dev/md0
mdadm --stop /dev/md0

Step 3: remove one disk from the remaining raid1

mdadm /dev/md1 --fail /dev/sdb1
mdadm /dev/md1 --remove /dev/sdb1

Step 4: build a degraded raid5 with four disks

mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=5 --raid-devices=4 /dev/sda1 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1 missing

Step 5: add the raid5 to lvm and move the root partition to it

pvcreate /dev/md0
vgextend wolf /dev/md0
pvmove -v /dev/md1 /dev/md0

Step 6: remove and stop md1

vgreduce wolf /dev/md1
pvremove /dev/md1
mdadm --stop /dev/md1

Step 7: complete the raid5 and update initrd

mdadm /dev/md0 --add /dev/sdd1
update-initramfs -k $(uname -r) -u

Debian on Intel SS4000

My little nas is much happier now running Debian Linux. Many thanks to Wouter for setting it up and making sure there is official Debian support for it.

Some screenshots:

wolf:~# grep Proc /proc/cpuinfo
Processor    : XScale-80219 rev 0 (v5l)


wolf:~# uname -rm
2.6.30-1-iop32x armv5tel


wolf:~# fdisk -l /dev/md0

Disk /dev/md0: 2250.5 GB, 2250460889088 bytes
2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 549428928 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 8 * 512 = 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

wolf:~# cat /proc/mdstat
Personalities : [raid1] [raid6] [raid5] [raid4]
md0 : active raid5 sdd1[3] sdc1[2] sdb1[1] sda1[0]
    2197715712 blocks level 5, 64k chunk, algorithm 2 [4/4] [UUUU]

Setting up the intel ss4000 nas

Today denbeiren (ginsys) delivered my personal three terabyte nas, so i'm having some fun setting it up.

The manual is Monopolisoft only, and doesn't even mention the web interface :(

The web interface allows creation of an nfs share (labeled a shared folder?!), so i created one and eventually found the mount point. The nfs mount works, but that's it. I found no way to copy a file onto it :(

Since the Intel SS4000-E is running Linux, i tried to ssh to it...port closed. The web interface lacks an option to enable ssh... or not ? There is a hidden cgi script to enable ssh at https://192.168.x.y/ssh_controlF.cgi ! I tried with admin/storage (the default user/pw) but failed, same thing with the other user i created with the webinterface. But root/mynewpassword did work:

paul@laika:~$ ssh root@192.168.x.y
root@192.168.x.y's password:
Welcome to

_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/ _/_/
_/ _/_/_/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
_/_/_/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/ _/

Powered by FalconStor Software, Inc.
Copyright 2001-2006 by FalconStor.
All Rights Reserved.
http://www.falconstor.com
#
# uname -a
Linux POINTER-SEAKING 2.6.10-iop1-9 #1 Tue Jan 2 14:52:23 CST 2007 armv5tel unknown
# cat /proc/cpuinfo
Processor : XScale-IOP8032x Family rev 0 (v5l)


...to be continued (first now lunch in Antwerp)

Wolf (Dax) is dood

Zoals gewoonlijk sliep Wolf deze nacht beneden in haar nest. Deze morgen hoorde ik haar (zoals bijna elke morgen) op de trap naar boven komen. Ze snuffelt zachtjes aan mijn haar, oren en neus tot ik mijn ogen open doe en die grote muil vlak voor mij zie.

Rond 17u is de buurman langsgekomen (die was er voor Wolf/Claudien zich voordeed ook al bij geweest). De buren gaven af en toe koekjes aan Wolf, weliswaar vanachter de draad. De buurvrouw kon Wolf zelfs op commando laten zitten. Soit, de buurman komt dus, en Wolf laat hem binnen. De buurman gaat in de veranda, en vult Wolf haar eetbak. Wolf laat het hem rustig geven, en eet in de tuin alles mooi op, en benadert ons dan rustig. We waren nog aan het praten, de buurman streelt Wolf en compleet onverwacht, zonder aanleiding en zonder waarschuwing springt ze naar zijn gezicht met open muil. Ik zag Claudien al voor mij staan...het was de buurman. Gelukkig niet erg, een ferme snee onder het oog, en een snee in de kin. Maar het had erger kunnen zijn! Hij had een oog kunnen kwijt zijn....

Sinds 19u is Wolf in de hondenhemel. Ik ga een dag of vier liggen huilen :(

Hier nog foto van Wolf naast Max de Golden Retriever.

poor silly hedgehog

A couple of nights ago, Wolf was barking strangely in the garden. I went out, and noticed a rare growling and jumping...not her regular-it-is-dark-so-i-bark bark.

So i put her inside, and went back, only to discover a big rolled up hedgehog. I kept her inside till morning (as always). The hedgehog was gone.

Until a couple of minutes ago...the "i have a trespassing hedgehog in my mouth so i growl" growl was there. (I didn't see her actually biting it a couple of days ago, but now she was holding it in her mouth). I immediately tried to get her away from it, hoping she didn't hurt the animal. When she-Wolf "why can't i play with trespassers?!" was inside the house, i went back to investigate. The hedgehog is wounded, hopefully not too bad.

If it is still alive (and in my garden) tomorrow, then i will take it to a vet. Picture taken minutes ago...

Poor hedgehog, because it is hurt. Silly hedgehog, because it came back to the big-bad-Wolf.

Click the picture for a bigger view.

update 28/8/2007 : Hedgehog was not there this morning.

dog pictures

Let's start with two pictures of my little Wolf chewing on a bone (click the picture for a larger version).




And finish with Bull Terrier Puppies. (got these pictures from a friend).

dogsitting

I like dogsitting for Max, besides the nice pictures, Max is also good company for Wolf.Wolf is becoming very good at listening to sit and stay, whereas Max still needs to figure out what stay means. But we're making progress!