Is RAID5 Possible with LVM? Is LVM Mirroring now Free in 11.31?

[Torsten.]

IMHO (!) there is no big demand for a software RAID5 or similar.

I think in a typical setup nowadays you have a server with a hardware RAID connected (SAN).

For highly availability you can still mirror between different hardware RAIDs.

The server will have a set of 2 internal disks for mirrored boot disks. A third disk could be used for DRD.

If you have more internal disks (rx2660/rx3600/rx6600) you can use a hardware RAID like the P400 - this would not consume CPU power to calculate the RAID.

[Geoff Wild]

The hardware raid is nice - I have it on a RX6600 - downside - you need the server down to configure it (through EFI). Even if you add additional disks - you will need an outage to Hardware mirror them.

LVM mirroring is not free - included with EOE and MCOE...

There is talk that in 11iv4, lvm mirroring for just the root disk may be included...

v3 rocks - Persistent DSF is great!

Rgds...Geoff

[Torsten.]

@Geoff: I have seen this several times - a new driver version will enable more commands and features for array cards, consider to check this.

[Mike Shilladay]

Hi Nelson,

As Duncan has already said, On Integrity servers, MirrorDisk IS free providing you ask for it. If you don't it doesn't appear.

We have just purchased and installed 2 Integrity rx2660 servers and requested MirrorDisk/UX and were not charged. I queried this and that is what happens - it is free - if nowhere else, certainly in the UK.

regards,

Mike.

[Geoff Wild]

Mike - is that on Foundation OE?

Rgds...Geoff

[John Payne_2]

It's Itanium only, not PARisc. It's Mirrordisk, 11.23 or 11.31.

I could tell you the real reason they have made the change, but I think it's NDA right now. (Although the marketing answer is that it's "value add to you!")

John

[Geoff Wild]

I have June 2007 11.23 installed on Itanium:

# swlist |grep OE
HPUX11i-OE B.11.23.0706 HP-UX Foundation Operating Environment Component

There is no mirroring included:

# lvextend -m 1 /dev/vg01/lvswap4
Usage: lvextend
[-A Autobackup]
{-l LogicalExtentsNumber |
-L LogicalVolumeSize}
LogicalVolumePath [ PhysicalVolumePath... | PhysicalVolumeGroupName... ]
"m": Illegal option.


Rgds...Geoff

[Duncan Edmonstone]

Geoff,

Like I said, thats cos its free of charge with new FOE orders *if* you request it. If this system was purchased before it was free of charge, or Mirrordisk wasn't requested with it, then you don't get it - it's still not in the FOE bundle.

HTH

Duncan

[Geoff Wild]

Just got this back from one of our account reps:

"On new Integrity servers with dual core processors we can quote a "no cost" mirror-ux, this is the full version and it carries no software or support costs at least for the first three years."

Another thought I have is, Base VxVM does include root disk mirroring - means converting from lvm to VxVM.

http://docs.hp.com/en/5991-6386/5991-6386.pdf

Rgds...Geoff