[Novalug] LVM query

Brander Snaxe brandon20va@yahoo.com
Tue Aug 31 08:42:21 EDT 2010


Thanks for the update. I like seeing how experiments turn out.

--- On Tue, 8/31/10, Jon LaBadie <novalugml@jgcomp.com> wrote:

> From: Jon LaBadie <novalugml@jgcomp.com>
> Subject: Re: [Novalug] LVM query
> To: novalug@calypso.tux.org
> Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2010, 1:12 AM
> On Mon, Jul 19, 2010 at 06:20:08PM
> -0400, James Ewing Cottrell 3rd wrote:
> > I am tempted to agree with Jeff, but after all, we
> have the chance
> > to Experiment on Jon, make him our Guinea Pig, so I
> say:
> > 
> > "Jon, that is the Best Idea I Ever Heard! GO FOR IT!"
> > 
> > But seriously, why don't you try it, and report back
> to us.
> 
> Guess it is about time I reported back.  To refresh
> memories,
> I was asking about making a large LVM volume group from
> two
> internal disks and two external USB disks.  I was
> concerned
> that the external drives shutdown when not in use and take
> a while to reawaken.
> 
> While awaiting replies I made two LVM VGs from the 4
> disks,
> pairing the two internal and the two external drives. 
> A
> single LV and filesystem was created on each VG.  My
> planned
> use was for storage of amanda backups and the necessary
> structure for 100 of amanda's virtual tapes was created on
> the empty FSs.  A virtual changer was created on
> another
> disk with symlinks to the vtapes.
> 
> I only did one test of how stable external USB drives
> would
> be in a LVM setting.  I pulled one USB cable, shutdown
> the
> system, pulled the other USB cable and swapped which
> connector they were plugged into.  When I rebooted
> the
> USB FS would not mount.  It reported an error like
> there
> was no FS on the drive.  I attempted an fsck which
> did
> not proceed until I gave it an option to use an alternate
> superblock.  After that the filesystem mounted
> correctly.
> 
> Since then I've had a couple of normal shutdown/reboots
> with no troubles.  The Amanda system is the only
> application
> that is using the drive(s).  It is now about 20%
> filled.
> Going to sleep has not upset things.  When sleeping,
> the
> first disk operation pauses for about 15-20 seconds while
> the drive awakens.  But it has not caused any problems
> with
> Amanda, or any other utility I've used (ls, df, ...).
> 
> As I can setup Amanda to use both VGs I've decided to 
> leave things as is and not merge the 4 drives into a
> single VG.
> 
> Jon
> -- 
> Jon H. LaBadie           
>       novalugml@jgcomp.com
>  JG Computing
>  12027 Creekbend Drive       
> (703) 787-0884
>  Reston, VA  20194   
>     (703) 787-0922 (fax)
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