asked on Uduntu File server partitioning
Hi experts.
We have Dell Power Edge 2950 with 16GB of RAM to be converted from MS file server to Linux file server. (Every sysadmin like new metro mickey mousing interface of Server 2012 in professional environment , don't you?)
I have SATA 500 HDD that I want to use for Ubuntu server installation. All data files will be on RAID 10 connected to PERC 5i.
As I read it is good idea to have separate partitions for /, /boot , /user , /home , /var ,swap , /tmp.
The only software on our file server --SSH and Samba, no user home folders.
Then I don't need separate partition for /user and / home, correct me if I am wrong.
/tmp is mounted as tmpfs.
It looks I need just 4 partition : / , /boot , /var and swap.
Please advise.
Also please advise if I need to use whole 500GB HDD or just a part to make backup images smaller.
and what size for each partition.
Thank you.
We have Dell Power Edge 2950 with 16GB of RAM to be converted from MS file server to Linux file server. (Every sysadmin like new metro mickey mousing interface of Server 2012 in professional environment , don't you?)
I have SATA 500 HDD that I want to use for Ubuntu server installation. All data files will be on RAID 10 connected to PERC 5i.
As I read it is good idea to have separate partitions for /, /boot , /user , /home , /var ,swap , /tmp.
The only software on our file server --SSH and Samba, no user home folders.
Then I don't need separate partition for /user and / home, correct me if I am wrong.
/tmp is mounted as tmpfs.
It looks I need just 4 partition : / , /boot , /var and swap.
Please advise.
Also please advise if I need to use whole 500GB HDD or just a part to make backup images smaller.
and what size for each partition.
Thank you.
LinuxDell
Last Comment
arnold
ASKER
Why do I need /usr and /home if nothing will be saved/installed there?
Why do I need separate partitioning for /var and /var/log ?
Thank you.
Why do I need separate partitioning for /var and /var/log ?
Thank you.
/usr is where all the commands are /usr/sbin system related, /usr/bin user related.
/var/log is where most applications save their log data httpd/apache, squid, mail servers, etc.
You want to limit an error in handling log rotation that could lead to a log growing so large that will use up all the available storage on the /var or the / depending on how you partitions are setup. /var/log filling up preventslogentries from being added, / or /var to a lesser extent filling up will/could bring down the system's functionality.
/home can be as small or as large as you need.
Usually, most compilations should be done usng non-privileged users. This process requires some storage resources.
Note that not creating a partition does not prevent the possible space use since the location /hme exists either way.
/var/log is where most applications save their log data httpd/apache, squid, mail servers, etc.
You want to limit an error in handling log rotation that could lead to a log growing so large that will use up all the available storage on the /var or the / depending on how you partitions are setup. /var/log filling up preventslogentries from being added, / or /var to a lesser extent filling up will/could bring down the system's functionality.
/home can be as small or as large as you need.
Usually, most compilations should be done usng non-privileged users. This process requires some storage resources.
Note that not creating a partition does not prevent the possible space use since the location /hme exists either way.
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William Peck
ASKER
Sorry, it looks like a linux book quotation that I already read.
may be I was not clear....
No users on server except root and Windows groups that Samba get from AD.
No home folders option is set. The file shares mounted \mnt ...... at Perc5 Raid 10.
Do I still need /home on different partition?
The same /usr and /usr/bin, nothing will be there added. If system crash who cares of defaults were in /usr and /usr/bin....
Use centos/redhat instead. Not sure whether the dell build and update DVD supports Ubuntu.
What DVD are you talking about? The professional sysadmin will toss it out to garbage right away.....
If you dont know what to do with Poweredge Server without Dell DVD then I have no comments.
Anybody has smarter idea how to partition 500 HDD , preferably using only 4 primary partitions?
Thank you.
may be I was not clear....
No users on server except root and Windows groups that Samba get from AD.
No home folders option is set. The file shares mounted \mnt ...... at Perc5 Raid 10.
Do I still need /home on different partition?
The same /usr and /usr/bin, nothing will be there added. If system crash who cares of defaults were in /usr and /usr/bin....
Use centos/redhat instead. Not sure whether the dell build and update DVD supports Ubuntu.
What DVD are you talking about? The professional sysadmin will toss it out to garbage right away.....
If you dont know what to do with Poweredge Server without Dell DVD then I have no comments.
Anybody has smarter idea how to partition 500 HDD , preferably using only 4 primary partitions?
Thank you.
You only need a single primary partition, /boot and swap
everything else can be on an extended/LVM volume.
Why are you not installing the OS on a RAID 1 volume?
/usr gets updated with updates/packages.
What is the point of having a RAID 10 when a disk failure on the 500GB hd brings your entire system down?
everything else can be on an extended/LVM volume.
Why are you not installing the OS on a RAID 1 volume?
/usr gets updated with updates/packages.
What is the point of having a RAID 10 when a disk failure on the 500GB hd brings your entire system down?
ASKER
What is the point of having a RAID 10 when a disk failure on the 500GB hd brings your entire system down?
500Gb HDD has mirror image. It is not in my question how to configure the hardware. Being system engineers more then 20 years gave me that knowledge.
I just specify that there is separate RAID 10 with shared folders in order to avoid suggestions regarding /home.
The questions is Only how to partition 500Gb HDD where system will lives.
I am afraid to put everything on one partition as know what fragmentation causes in MS world. Also I read that ext 3 ,4 are better organized I still doubt about just 1 partition.
Thank you.
500Gb HDD has mirror image. It is not in my question how to configure the hardware. Being system engineers more then 20 years gave me that knowledge.
I just specify that there is separate RAID 10 with shared folders in order to avoid suggestions regarding /home.
The questions is Only how to partition 500Gb HDD where system will lives.
I am afraid to put everything on one partition as know what fragmentation causes in MS world. Also I read that ext 3 ,4 are better organized I still doubt about just 1 partition.
Thank you.
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Use centos/redhat instead. Not sure whether the dell build and update DVD supports Ubuntu.
IMHO the partitions that ne should use are
/boot
/
/var
/var/log
/usr
/home
If there are specific tasks the system must perform,you would create separate partitions and overlay their location I.e. mysql /var/lib/mysql
/opt/oracle etc.
The separation by individual partition isolates the system from failure due to a process that consumes a large amount of storage because of a mistake.