Mirror Image Hard Drive

Take a look a the MD device driver documentation (under /usr/src/linux/Documentation).

I can't find this one. There is no MD in the directory. I have Linux 2.0.33 and I also looked in the 2.0.0 location.

Thanks
Bob Ross

to be more specific
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_MD
  This driver lets you combine several harddisk partitions into one
  logical block device. Information about how and why to use it and the
  necessary tools are available over ftp (user: anonymous) from
  sweet-smoke.ufr-info-p7.ibp.fr/pub/public/Linux in the md package
  and the md-FAQ. Please read drivers/block/README.md. If unsure, say
  N.
     

I get an unknown host.

sweet-smoke.ufr-info-p7.ibp.fr

Is there a web site ?I can find this. I need detailed help to see if I can get a mirror routine working.

Thanks
Bob

I have found that Promise's FastTrak RAID controllers offer a cost-effective solution for disk mirroring. They are blazingly fast and only cost $150 or so. I suspect they work with Linux (they're quite popular, and besides I think they work at the hardware level, not at the BIOS level), though I have not verified this.
As someone else said, the MD driver provides a software-based solution to this problem. It's not quite as fast as the FastTrak's dedicated controller card but it's simple and free.

-Reeves

Now two of you talked about MD, is there a web site, I tried to ftp from it and get an unknown host with the above address.

Thanks
Bob Ross

dont get me wrong, you just need some tools which might be a part of your distribution, the md driver itself is in the kernel, you just need to turn it on. It is more than just mirroring it could also do stripping and raid level 5. Your might take a look at www.linux.org in the md how-to (or mini-howto I dont remember..)...

This is starting to be a real trouble. I went to the Linux site and there is nothing on md how-to when I do a search. Would it be known as something else.

Thanks
Bob Ross

Please refer to LINUX mini-howto on topic of RAID. You need to recompile the kernel to allow software RAID function (include mirror, stripping)to be activated. To enable RAID function, please goto "/usr/src/linux" and "run make config" to activate the RAID function. If there is no RAID option, please get the latest version of kernel(v2.1 or later).

There are also some DOS program like "GHOST" from Norton which can make a copy of linux partition to other HD even HD have different size. To to do, you need a dos boot disk with GHOST s/w and two HDD installed. Boot up the dos and run GHOST to make a copy of your linux boot disk.

I run 2.0.33 Slackware, the latest of that is 2.0.35 there is no RAID selection in 33, I will have 35 in a few weeks.

Thanks
Bob Ross

Since there was three of you how do I split the points so this can be closed out.

Thanks
Bob Ross

Does any one have something that has a detailed setup to get this working.

Thanks

I tried FastTrack and any mail to this site is bounced. Seems that they are not doing business any longer.

harrys is right.  To get software mirroring in the kernel to work you need two things.  A compiled kernel that has MD support and the raidtools to configure the MD devices.

Checkout the kernel documentation as harrys mentioned in his/her first comment.  You might need to get the lastest kernel.  It can be obtained from ftp.kernel.org.  The experimental 2.1.x kernels are not necessary for MD support.

I have the raidtools installed as a package a RedHat 5.2 system but I do not know where the sources come from.  I will have to check the SRPM spec file.

If you are interested in a hardware solution as overcode suggests then there are many vendors to choose from.  I know AMI and Mylex/BusLogic have had long standing products in these areas.

eugenia: That suggestion is hardly novel.  Just about every comment in this thread is about RAID.

I suppose the tape backup information is new but I doubt that constitutes much of an answer.