Managing RAID on Linux - Derek Vadala [97]
Running /usr/dpt/dptmgr will invoke the GUI management portion of the Storage Manager. It provides the same functions as the controller BIOS, in addition to some monitoring capabilities. Complete documentation for dptmgr is available from the Adaptec web site.
Working with raidutil
raidutil is useful for administering Adaptec controllers at the command line. You can use raidutil to create, modify, delete, and manage arrays. Execute raidutil with no arguments to get a list of options or read the manual page for details on usage.
After you have installed the dptapps package and started the Adaptec daemons, use raidutil to ensure that everything is functioning properly. The -I switch queries the controller and returns the model and firmware version:
# /usr/dpt/raidutil -I
Use the -L option to view information about the controller's configuration. For example, to list arrays and their components, use the following command:
# /usr/dpt/raidutil -L array
Promise Technology
Promise Technology, Inc. is one of the oldest manufacturers of ATA RAID controllers. They produce several dual-channel controllers aimed at end users and small businesses (FastTrak), as well as a high-end six-channel controller (SuperTrak).
The low-end controllers are, in essence, software RAID controllers because they rely on the operating system to handle RAID operations and because they store array configuration information on individual component disks. The real value of the controller is in the extra ATA channels. If you purchased a controller that supports a better ATA protocol than your motherboard's built-in ATA controller, you will get improved disk bus performance.
I evaluated the Promise FastTrak 100, a dual-channel Ultra ATA/100 card. The information that I have provided in this section is relevant for any of the FastTrak series RAID controllers. You might also find the Linux ATA RAID HOWTO a useful complement to the material in this section. Download a copy from http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/ATA-RAID-HOWTO/index.html or from any Linux Documentation Project mirror.
Creating an Array
Press CTRL-F to invoke the Promise FastBuild utility when the controller's initialization banner appears. Select the Define Array option to create a new array. Use the SPACEBAR to choose between the available options and the arrow keys to navigate between the fields. After choosing a RAID level and stripe size (RAID-0 only), navigate to the bottom section of the screen to select individual disks to be included in the array. The letter Y to the right of a disk indicates that it has been marked for inclusion. When you're finished selecting disks, press CTRL-Y to save the array.
If you created a RAID-1, FastBuild will ask you if you prefer to Create and Build the array (that is, perform an initial resynchronization) or to only Create the array. It's safe to select the Create Only option (answering no to the question that appears), since you are about to install an operating system for the first time. After you finish the installation process, the controller will warn you that an array is not synchronized. At that point, you can use FastBuild to manually build the array, and then continue booting your newly installed Linux operating system.
Next, exit to the main menu by pressing the ESCAPE key. Finally, press the ESCAPE key again to exit the FastBuild utility and restart the system.
When the system restarts, the array you just created will be listed in the controller's initialization banner. If you need to make any changes, use CTRL-F to restart the FastBuild utility.
Installing Linux onto a Promise Array
Installation on Promise RAID controllers can be problematic for two reasons. First, most Linux installers detect both the arrays defined (logical disks) and the individual ATA disks, and list both as available, valid installation targets during the system configuration. Thus, disks that are members of arrays might also show up in partitioning utilities. It's left up to the user to determine which device is the valid