SUMMARY: md and vxvm and vxfs

From: Francis, Rick <Rick.Francis_at_Transora.com>
Date: Mon Apr 30 2001 - 10:51:59 EDT
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with the advancements of filesystem management, especially with VxVM, it is
recommended to upgrade to VxVM instead of using both MD and VxVM (although
still possible as a valid configuration). below are some outstanding
comments on this issue (rated preferentially):
 
 
It is definitely good to have both vxvm and vxfs. It doesn't hurt to have
md,

but why? Unless it was there when you arrived and you aren't allowed to take

the time to remove it, then use vxvm instead of md. If, like some people,
you

are using md to manage your root disk and its mirror(s), then take a look at

the Sun Blueprint on a best practice for managing root disks with vxvm. It
is

excellent.

I have taken the steps in that document and automated the process of making

the mirror (for my shop's standard root disk volumes) and de-encapsulating
the

root disk and making it a standard initialized disk. It works great. In
fact,

I recently had to replace a root disk. Vxvm allowed me to do little more
than

simply to remove and replace the disk. Md would have required much more
work.

Md is cool as far as it goes, but vxvm is superior.

-Brooke King

 
If you are running all three applications on your machine, then obviously it


can be done.

My only thought is WHY? Each has its own set of peculiarities. Why punish 

yourself? 

I asssume that any one set of disks or partitions is managed by only one
disk 

management applictaion. I'd bite the bullet and convert them all over to one


system. 

-Dave Harrington

 
 
    "md" is more robust for managing the '/','/usr', and '/var' if 
seperate, filesystems because of it's lower level of abstraction 
than VxVM's. "VxVM" requires a "rootdg". If the rootdg gets 
corrupted it is virtually impossible to recover. If your OS is in i 
there, you're going to have to rebuild the box. 

    "VxVM" allows great advantages for the other filesystems 
than "md" however, like online filesystem growing and *shrinking* 
-- a product of the high level of abstraction. There are extensions 
to it such as QuickIO which can speed raw file performance 
for DB's such as Sybase (claim is 140% of raw perf). 


    "VxFS" is an extent-based journaling filesystem that has 
faster throughput than UFS, and the Journaling reduces the 
filesystem checking on boot - speeding it up. 


-Steve- 

 

We do it, but not on the same disks, of course. Our standard database build
is straight mirroring on the boot vol with md, then VXVM database edition
with vxfs and quickio for table space. Often we'll skip the vxfs and just
use raw partitions, depending on the situation.

- eric shafto

 

I have seen this strategy used many times, and as long as good records are
kept and clear-cut standards in place, it is very workable.  The gotcha
rears its greasy head when each administrative finger in the system pie
leaves an indelible stamp of individuality on the mix;  in other words, be
exquisitely anal in setting rules for disk group names, disk names, logging,
etc.  Use the defaults, make everything plain vanilla, and then when you
have to piece it back together after SNAFUS, the puzzle pieces match.
 
(spoken from sad experience)
-E. Lee
-----Original Message-----

"Francis, Rick" wrote: 

 can anyone comment on whether using all three of these disk mgmt. apps on
the same machine is a good thing or a bad thing (runs oracle databases)? 

thanks. 


rf




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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=123434314-30042001>with 
the advancements of filesystem management, especially with VxVM, it is 
recommended to upgrade to VxVM instead of using both MD and VxVM (although still 
possible as a valid configuration). below are some outstanding comments on this 
issue (rated preferentially):</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=123434314-30042001></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=123434314-30042001></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=123434314-30042001>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>It is definitely good to have both vxvm 
and vxfs. It doesn't hurt to have md,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>but why? Unless it was there when you 
arrived and you aren't allowed to take</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>the time to remove it, then use vxvm 
instead of md. If, like some people, you</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>are using md to manage your root disk 
and its mirror(s), then take a look at</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>the Sun Blueprint on a best practice 
for managing root disks with vxvm. It is</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>excellent.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>I have taken the steps in that document 
and automated the process of making</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>the mirror (for my shop's standard root 
disk volumes) and de-encapsulating the</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>root disk and making it a standard 
initialized disk. It works great. In fact,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>I recently had to replace a root disk. 
Vxvm allowed me to do little more than</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>simply to remove and replace the disk. 
Md would have required much more work.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>Md is cool as far as it goes, but vxvm 
is superior.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=123434314-30042001>-Brooke 
King</SPAN></FONT></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=123434314-30042001></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=123434314-30042001>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>If you are running all three 
applications on your machine, then obviously it </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>can be done.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>My only thought is WHY? Each has its 
own set of peculiarities. Why punish </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>yourself? </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>I asssume that any one set of disks or 
partitions is managed by only one disk </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>management applictaion. I'd bite the 
bullet and convert them all over to one </FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>system. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><SPAN 
class=123434314-30042001>-</SPAN>Dave 
Harrington</FONT></FONT></FONT></P></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=123434314-30042001></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=123434314-30042001></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=123434314-30042001><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial 
size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "md" is more robust for managing the '/','/usr', and 
'/var' if <BR>seperate, filesystems because of it's lower level of abstraction 
<BR>than VxVM's. "VxVM"&nbsp;requires a "rootdg". If the rootdg gets 
<BR>corrupted it is virtually impossible to recover. If your OS is in i 
<BR>there, you're going to have to rebuild the box. </FONT>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "VxVM"&nbsp;allows 
great advantages for the other filesystems <BR>than "md" however, like online 
filesystem growing and *shrinking* <BR>-- a product of the high level of 
abstraction. There are extensions <BR>to it such as QuickIO which can speed raw 
file performance <BR>for DB's such as Sybase (claim is 140% of raw perf). 
</FONT>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "VxFS" is an 
extent-based journaling filesystem that has <BR>faster throughput than UFS, and 
the Journaling reduces the <BR>filesystem checking on boot - speeding it up. 
</FONT>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2>-Steve- </FONT></P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=123434314-30042001>We do 
it, but not on the same disks, of course. Our standard database build is 
straight mirroring on the boot vol with md, then VXVM database edition with vxfs 
and quickio for table space. Often we'll skip the vxfs and just use raw 
partitions, depending on the situation.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN class=123434314-30042001></SPAN><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT 
face=Arial><SPAN class=123434314-30042001>- eric 
shafto</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><SPAN 
class=123434314-30042001></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</P><FONT 
face=Arial><SPAN class=123434314-30042001>
<DIV><SPAN class=211051423-27042001><FONT color=#0000ff face=Tahoma size=2>I 
have seen this strategy used many times, and as long as good records are kept 
and clear-cut standards in place, it is very workable.&nbsp; The gotcha rears 
its greasy head when each administrative finger in the system pie 
leaves&nbsp;an&nbsp;indelible stamp of individuality on the mix;&nbsp; in other 
words, be exquisitely anal in setting rules for disk group names, disk names, 
logging, etc.&nbsp; Use the defaults, make everything plain vanilla, and then 
when you have to piece it back together after SNAFUS, the puzzle pieces 
match.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=211051423-27042001><FONT face=Tahoma></FONT></SPAN><FONT 
color=#0000ff size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=211051423-27042001><FONT color=#0000ff face=Tahoma 
size=2>(spoken from sad experience)</FONT></SPAN></DIV></FONT><FONT size=2><FONT 
color=#0000ff><FONT face=Tahoma>
<DIV><SPAN class=211051423-27042001><SPAN class=123434314-30042001>-</SPAN>E. 
Lee</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT><FONT face=Arial><SPAN 
class=123434314-30042001></SPAN><BR></FONT></FONT></SPAN><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT 
size=2>-----Original Message-----</DIV></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"></FONT>"Francis, Rick" wrote: 
  <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE">&nbsp;<FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>can anyone 
    comment on whether using all three of these disk mgmt. apps on the same 
    machine is a good thing or a bad thing (runs oracle 
    databases)?</FONT></FONT> 
    <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>thanks.</FONT></FONT> 
    <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT 
size=-1>rf</FONT></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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Received on Mon Apr 30 15:51:59 2001

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