Question

how to run fsck in solaris

Asked by: javeedabdul


Hi expert.

Scenario.. -1
2 disks are mirrored.
while booting  disk0 starting giving file inconsistency and required to run fsck to fix the issue..

I don't have a cd to boot the system in single user mode.
So i select this options.

boot the system with second disk after changing the vfstab file.
Boot the system with disk1 in single usermode.
mount disk0 and run fsck ..

Do you think this is the correct way to run fsck on disk0 ?

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Asked On
2009-08-14 at 05:30:49ID24652686
Tags

Sun Desktops

Topics

General Computer Systems

,

Sun JDS

,

Unix Setup

Participating Experts
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400
Comments
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Answers

 

by: greg_vanderPosted on 2009-08-14 at 06:26:49ID: 25097703

hi

personnally I would start by fsck in single user mode on the actual config before breaking mirror (hard or soft ?)
regards

 

by: turnbulldPosted on 2009-08-14 at 08:54:18ID: 25099442

A lot depends on what is causing the problem.  Since the disks are mirrored, if the file system has been made corrupt because of a software related issue (such as sudden loss of power), both disks will likely have the same problem.  Booting from the mirror won't help in this situation.

If the corruption is due to a malfunction in one disk, you need to replace the disk before trying to fix the filesystem or you will just end up doing it all again and again until the disk gives up and dies.

It would help to know how these disks are mirrored.  Are they set up as a RAID-1 in a hardware RAID controller and appear as a single disk in the OS?  Are they set up using Solaris Volume Manager as a mirror device wher ehte OS sees both disks but addresses them through a mirror device like /dev/md/dsk/d0?  Are they a ZFS mirror pool?  Are they a VxVM encapsulation?

Your choices and tasks will vary according to how the mirror is controlled.  Can you provide more information on that please?

 

by: javeedabdulPosted on 2009-08-14 at 09:17:48ID: 25099755

Turnbuild

If the corruption is due to a malfunction in one disk, you need to replace the disk before trying to fix the filesystem or you will just end up doing it all again and again until the disk gives up and dies.

I think disk0 is corrupted due to malfunction. the other thing is  i didn't had any problem booting the system with disk1..

My question is now..
The procedure i described above. Is that possible. ?
Can i able to boot from disk1 (singleusermode) to fix fsck of disk0  fsck issue.

or
Do i need really need  to boot with cdrom in single usermode and fix disk0 fsck issue..





 

by: turnbulldPosted on 2009-08-14 at 10:06:20ID: 25100172

it depends on how the disks are mirrored.  Are you usinv a hardware raid lun, svm, zfs, vxvm, or something else to mirror the disks?

 

by: javeedabdulPosted on 2009-08-14 at 12:10:50ID: 25101365

I am using SVM , no hardware raid configured..

 

by: turnbulldPosted on 2009-08-15 at 04:15:47ID: 25104885

Ok then, you'll need to break the mirrors to deal with the disks separately if you haven't already.  Change the BIOS to boot form the right half of the mirror (already done I believe) and reboot the server, use the metadetach command to remove the left mirror from the mirror device, then the metaclear command to destroy the concat/stripe device containing the left-mirror's slice.  Do this for each mirror defined on the disk.

Once that's done, you can do what you want with the disk.  If you want to mount the root slice and fsck it, feel free.  Bear in mind that, until you remirror the disk, you will not be protected from disk failures.  Also, when you re-mirror the disk, you'll overwrite any filesystem that is on it so it is probably a  waste of time trying to recover the file system on the detached disk.  

If the disk corrupted its filesystem due to a hardware problem, it will almost certainly be better to simply replace the disk and re-establish the mirrors using the new disk.  However, you can use the format utility to verify the disk forcing it to mark bad sectors bad and try again with the disk if you want.  I think it is likely you will find yourself doing this operation again and again until you have a good disk in the position however.

 

by: javeedabdulPosted on 2009-08-15 at 05:58:42ID: 25105247

Tunbuild

I understand what you're trying to say But Unfortunately my question remains the same..
Let me change the scenario

Disk 3 (data disk  is showing data inconsistency)
what is the best only way to fix the issue..

A- boot the system with cdrom in single user mode and mount disk3 and run fsck..
B boot the system without cdrom in single usermode and mount disk3 and run fsck

To run fsck do I really need to have cdrom(os cd) or can I just run fsck by going in single user and mount disk 3 and run on it.

 cheers
Javeed A

 

by: turnbulldPosted on 2009-08-15 at 10:40:34ID: 25106211

The ONLY reason you would HAVE to boot the system with the CD or DVD is to fsck a root filesystem on an unmirrored setup where there is no way to boot the failsafe kernel.  In order to repair the filesystem, you have to be able to fsck it without the filesystem mounted.  Booting to the DVD gives you a running OS instance not based on the disk.  Booting the failsafe kernel does the same since it bases its root on a miniroot.

Your new scenario does not involve root so there should never be a need to boot to DVD since you should be able to mount and unmount the data filesystem at any time (after stopping processes using it of course).  Unmount the data filesystem and run fsck against it.

Since you have a mirrored root, your original plan to boot from the right side of the mirror and then fsck the left side should work so long as you break the mirror first.  However, it is nonsensical to do that since you would have to rebuild the mirrors afterward which would overwrite what was fsck'ed.

 

by: javeedabdulPosted on 2009-08-19 at 08:32:42ID: 31615778

Good explantion

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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