Question

3

RAID 1 array not found in server installer

rated 0 times [ 3] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 9241 / 2 Years ago, wed, march 2, 2022, 9:55:58

So I'm trying to install the last version of Ubuntu Server 11.10 64bits on my server ( replacing Windows Server 2008 completely ).

Since I need more Sata ports, I bought a PCI Sata RAID Controller based on the chipset SiI3114.

The problem is that when I configure the array to RAID 1, when the installer gets to the point where I partition the disks, the RAID array simply doesn't appear on the list.

The installer asks me if I want to "activate the Serial Ata RAID devices", I choose yes, and nothing is listed.

If I instead of creating an RAID 1 array, create an Raid 0 array, it appears on the list to partition the disk.

This last part, is what I don't understand, it gets recognized when it is a RAID 0 array, but if it is a RAID 1 array it doesn't.

I've read the FakeRaid wiki on ubuntu wiki, and also this post: RAID 10 not being found by installer

Running in RAID 1, and executing the shell on the installer and running the command dmraid -r, I get:

/dev/sdb: sil, "sil_bhbgdfdcfdfc", mirror, ok, 976771072 sectors, data@ 0

/dev/sda: sil, "sil_bhbgdfdcfdfc", mirror, ok, 976771072 sectors, data@ 0

Looks good I think.

When in RAID 0, using the same commands, I get:

/dev/sdb: sil, "sil_bhbgdfdcfdfc", stripe, ok, 976771072 sectors, data@ 0

/dev/sda: sil, "sil_bhbgdfdcfdfc", stripe, ok, 976771072 sectors, data@ 0

Everything looks OK, I guess, it's the first time I'm installing Ubuntu Server for real, I've installed 4 or 5 times on VMPlayer to see how everything works.

If I don't configure an array, the disks are recognized with no problem whatsoever, if the PCI card, wasn't detected properly it wouldn't show any disks connected to the card in any instance I think. The card is also capable of RAID 5 and RAID 10, but I haven't tested that yet, later when I arrive home, I will see if the installer detects those RAID arrays.

EDIT:
So I arrived home, and started googling again, and i found this, so I ran the command dmraid -ay:

ERROR: device-mapper target type "mirror" is not in the kernel.

RAID set "sil_bhbgdgaaaaba" was not activated.

Then I googled for this error, and what I found kind of scared me, this, basically all I have to do is recompile the Kernel with mirroring support, I can't recompile the kernel I simply don't have the knowledge to do it.. yet I mean..

Can anyone give me a solution that doesn't involve recompiling the kernel?

Second edit:
I just downloaded and burned an Ubuntu Live CD, and guess what? The RAID array is detected on the spot ( I'm currently installing Ubuntu in the RAID array ). Now I'm just plain confused, I tough the Ubuntu Server was a Ubuntu version but without an windows manager.

Third edit:
Just saved the syslog, to have more information to show:

Oct 24 22:46:43 anna-install: Installing dmraid-udeb

Oct 24 22:46:43 anna[10984]: DEBUG: retrieving dmraid-udeb 1.0.0.rc16-4.1ubuntu4

Oct 24 22:46:43 anna[10984]: DEBUG: retrieving libdmraid1.0.0.rc16-udeb 1.0.0.rc16-4.1ubuntu4

Oct 24 22:46:43 disk-detect: Serial ATA RAID disk(s) detected.

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: Enabling dmraid support.

Oct 24 22:46:44 kernel: [   76.836245] device-mapper: table: 253:0: mirror: unknown target type

Oct 24 22:46:44 kernel: [   76.836248] device-mapper: ioctl: error adding target to table

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: ERROR: 

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: device-mapper target type "mirror" is not in the kernel

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: 

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: RAID set "sil_bhbgdgdefacd" was not activated

Oct 24 22:46:44 udevd[9332]: inotify_add_watch(6, /dev/dm-0, 10) failed: No such file or directory

Oct 24 22:46:44 kernel: [   76.931742] device-mapper: table: 253:0: mirror: unknown target type

Oct 24 22:46:44 kernel: [   76.931745] device-mapper: ioctl: error adding target to table

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: ERROR: 

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: device-mapper target type "mirror" is not in the kernel

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: 

Oct 24 22:46:44 disk-detect: RAID set "sil_bhbgdgdefacd" was not activated

Oct 24 22:46:44 udevd[9332]: inotify_add_watch(6, /dev/dm-0, 10) failed: No such file or directory

Thanks

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elecerna

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2 Years ago

answered 2 Years ago panshow · Accepted Answer

Problem solved, all it took was my Portuguese ingenuity or "Desenrascanço". The uncanny ability passed down through the generations to solve any problem with merely a penny and a string. ( I didn't solve the problem with a penny and a string but you get the point ).

So here is the solution:

Connect one of the disks to the motherboard, let's call source from now on.

Install Ubuntu Server on source disk.

Run sudo apt-get update

Run sudo apt-get upgrade

Install dmraid, by running sudo apt-get install dmraid

Put the modules dm-mod and dm-mirror inside the /etc/modules file, just sudo nano /etc/modules

Connect the source disk to the PCI card on the first SATA port, connect the other disk on any other port

Create the RAID 1 array. And boot the computer using the RAID array, it's going to boot, because one of the disks is bootable.

Confirm that the raid is running by issuing: sudo dmraid -ay, something on the lines of this should appear: "*sil_bhbgdjddagcc: 0 976771072 mirror core 2 131072 nosync 2 /dev/sdd 0 /dev/sde 0 1 handle_errors.*"

Disconnect the second disk ( the one that is not the source disk ).

Boot from the array again, and make a change to any file. Then shutdown.

Connect the disconnected drive and rebuild the array.

Wait a long time...

...and if everything went well you should now have a running RAID 1 array on your server.

How did I check if the RAID 1 array was working? Just boot from each drive separately connected to the motherboard, if it boot's then it means that the rebuild was done correctly.

After checking that the rebuild was done correctly you have to rebuild again. After finishing with this boot's and rebuilds, you just have to change one file on one disk while using the RAID 1 array, then shutdown, disconnect the disks from the array.

Then boot from them separately and check for the change you made to that file is on both disks, if the changes are there, it means the RAID 1 array is working. Then it's time for another rebuild, and the system is ready to use.

Why do I have to rebuild the array every time I boot from one or another, because every time the server boots there are changes on the disks, that's why.

This solution doesn't work with another types of RAID arrays, RAID 5 should be a no go, because the data is spread across the disks, RAID 10, shouldn't work either because the data is stripped and mirrored, RAID 0 is not a problem because it's detected by the install.