SA6402 & RHL AS3

[Learn_1]

we have rx4640 servers and are planning to install Red Hat Linux Advance Server 3 update3.Initially we do not had Raid Controllers for OS disk mirroring but now we are planning to purchase SA6402. Just wanted to ask if we install RHLAS3 now and RAID controllers arrive later on, can we switch the disks from onboard SCSI controolers to RAID controllers without re-installing the OS? or after moving the disk toRaid controllers, the OS will keep working.

Wanna have you guys opinion in this regard.

[xyko_1]

Hi Anwar,

surelly you must prepare all of your hardware before install the OS. Attention to see if the new raid controller is supported by RH AS30 and don't forget to construct the raid device before OS install.

If you install first, when you change the "location" of your boot disks you will have a lot of problems with your boot loader (and another ones).

Hope it helps your decision.

regards,
Xyko

[Uwe Zessin]

A SmartArray controller stores the configuration on the disks. That means a disk that is presented via the SA6402 is smaller (has less logical blocks) than one that is attached to a simple SCSI host bus adapter.

I don't know if the configuration is stored at the beginning or the end of the disk. It is also possible that the SmartArray controller presets the logical disk with a completely different geometry than the original disk. Any software that still uses the geometry to lay out its data structures will not work after the move.

I'd say: "forget it!" It'll be a nice experiment, but a waste of time if you have other things to do.