boot problem, disk mess.. thinking of suicide.

[Bill Hacker]

1bbfc02cna03b33288fb34b96 at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
In-Reply-To: <9401072f0609270656w1bbfc02cna03b33288fb34b96 at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Lines: 54
Message-ID: <451aa967$0$787$415eb37d at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 218.253.81.177
X-Trace: 1159375207 crater_reader.dragonflybsd.org 787 218.253.81.177
Xref: crater_reader.dragonflybsd.org dragonfly.users:7438

Vladimir Mitiouchev wrote:

> 26 Sep 2006 10:49:11 GMT, Oliver Fromme 
> <check+j671s500rsz1kjh6 at xxxxxxxxxx>:
> 
>> And if you did, you should newfs(8) the file system when
>> you replaced the cables with good ones.
> 
> Q: Why fsck is not enough?
> 
>> Then re-install from your backup.  DragonFly's journaling
>> feature allows for nice "live" backup streams that can be
>> stored on another media.  ;-)
> 
> That's too easy for me. Recovering system file by file and debugging
> problems give me much more pleasure :-) Live backup would be nice, but
> i have only 1 HDD. Last 3 months i've broken 5 HDD, that magic power
> in my fingers is extremely destructive.
> 
>> Or if you have a mirror (RAID1) setup, and the problem did
>> not affect all mirror disks, then you can simply rebuild
>> the failed component, of course.
> 
> Im going to buy new computer, with some SCSI array :-) That would be
> nice possiblity to do some RAIDing. I've used RAID0 a few times, and 5
> too, but on linux and IDE disks..
> 

RAID0 is of no use save for speeding up video or such. The only thing 
'redundant' about it is chances of losing data.

RAID5 needs more HDD count and controller logic cost than can be justified with 
current HDD size & reliability.  RAID, BTW, is statistically less reliable than 
a single disk - it just *tolerates* or recovers from the fault(s) way better.

KISS.

Just put a matched pair of reasonably priced SATA or PATA up as RAID1 and be 
happy. Western Digital are running cooler than Maxtor, (ex) IBM-Hitachi are 
again safe to use.  Seagate?  Still competing with Midland and Kelsey-Hayes to 
corner the market on flywheels... Not an option for 24 X 7 X 365 X 5+

If you will ever need to remotely tear-down/rebuild them, where all you can ask 
of 'local' hands is a simple hardware device swap-out, then use either a very 
expensive 'hardware ATA RAID' controller (not justifiable, IMNSHO) or the 
dumbest ATA *non-RAID* controller, then atacontrol/gmirror or such. RAID1 write 
loading on modern CPU/glue/bus/controller is ridiculouslylow.

It is nigh impossible to get full control over an alleged-RAID (3-Ware, Promise, 
High Point, Intel...) w/o hands-on physical presence at BIOS time.

SCSI is a whole 'nuther story, but migrating nowadays to fiber....

Bill