topic Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server in Operating System - Linux

Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server

txtraz — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:13:30 GMT

Hi,
I'm in big troube. I want to configure a mail server in RHEL-5. i've two types of HDD. 1.(2 X 250GB) and 2. (3 X 1TB). I want to configure 1st two HDD as RAID-1 and Other will be RAID-5. I want to use 1st two HDD(RAID-1)for OS and rest of three HDD (RAID-5) will be used for caching. please help me how can i configure the server.

Please send me the Step by step procedure.

Thanks.

Re: Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server

Steven Schweda — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:27:53 GMT

> Please send me the Step by step procedure.

Please send me large quantities of money.

Re: Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server

Roman Schmidt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:16:23 GMT

check here:

http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-HOWTO/Software-RAID-HOWTO.html

Re: Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server

Steven E. Protter — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:13:01 GMT

Shalom,

You should start with http://www.sendmail.org

There are alternatives to sendmail, but sendmail can be made secure and do the job.

Disk layout depends on what type of server and disk array.

Note though that you can not boot off a raid 5 configuration, you need at least one disk outside any raid 5 configuration to boot.

SEP

Re: Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server

Tim Towers — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:57:58 GMT

As we're on the HP forums is it allowed to suggest that something like a Proliant has raid hardware that will abstract this tricky RAID configuration thus avoiding any operating system juggling and all you need to arrange is the monitoring.

I look after hundreds of disks. When I get a failure I like an snmp trap telling me what to visit and a little orange light to lead me unambiguously to what needs fixing.

Re: Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server

Nuwan Alwis — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:03:34 GMT

Hi txtraz,

Have you finalized the RAID implementation?
HW or SW RAID ?

Whats the model of the server?
if its relatively new it should have a smart array controller which can save the day for you.
Remember if not a high performance server configuring software raid may add additional over head on your CPU

for mail server all you need to install 2 packages.

1)sendmail
2)dovecot(for pop3/pop3s/IMAP/IMAPS)

install these packages and let us know so we can move to next step.

Good Luck..!

Re: Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server

txtraz — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:23:42 GMT

Hi Nuwan Alwis,
Thanks for your suggestion.
It's DL580 server. I want to configure Hardware RAID and it'll be in Linux Environment. I can configure the RAID 1 & 5 using the Smart Array. But i want to setup OS in RAID1 and want's to share some cacheing data in RAID-5. plese let me know the procedure.

Thanks;

Re: Step by Step procedure needed to configure a Linux Server

Nuwan Alwis — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:32:11 GMT

Hi txtraz,
Wel if you already configure your RAID levels using smart array controller i don't see any requirement of configure software RAID.

The there is no additional benefit except you are going to loose some more disk space.

Any way crating software raid is easy.

This is how u do it after install OS

i Assume that you have already installed OS on a different partition or disk and you will be crating the software raid (R-1) on 2 different disks.

mdadm -C /dev/md0 --chunk=64 --level=1\
--raid-devices=2 /dev/c0d0p1 /dev/c0d0p2

same you can use to crate (R-5) by changing it to

mdadm -C /dev/md1 --chunk=64 --level=5\
--raid-devices=2 /dev/c0d0pX /dev/c0d0pX
/dev/cXdXpX

remember now when using your raid what you will be using as the block device /dev/md0 for R1 and /dev/md1 for R5

format these /dev/mdX

mkfs.ext3 /dev/md0

now you can use this /dev/md0 to store files mirrored to 2 disks

go through the man pages of "mdadm" this will give you more info

Good Luck...!