partition size

[bread-baker]

Hello
this weekend my son and I will be installing Proxmox 1.7 onto a
system containing 3-ware raid-6 . the storage size will be approx
6-TB.

from past experience the install process would use the entire disk.
that would be ok, but my questions :

is there a size limit for partitions? [ I remember in the past
certain filesystem types had limits... but that could be old info].

if there is a limitation on size, do newer install cd's allow
partition adjustments? [ like using fdisk etc].

thanks
Rob

 

[tom]

the installer take the whole volume, maximum size is 2 TB. so you need create a volume < 2TB to install. depending on your needs you can use the rest. I assume the raid controller allows more than one volume on the raid6, but I do not know the 3ware in detail - with Adaptec controllers its quite easy.

 

[mmenaz]

Would't it be nice if installer could limit the partition size without having to use, if present, raid controller features for creation of multiple volumes?
Since kvm I/O is faster in direct raw on LVM LV, would love to have i.e. a 1TB hard disk and have proxmox install /boot on sda1, "pve" on a user defined size /dev/sda2 (i.e. 200GB), and let user create, could be ok if done manually after installation, i.e. /dev/sda3, create a new PV and VG upon it, and add as "lvm storage" in proxmox web interface.
I've had a look at how resize pve/data after installation, but seems risky and complicated to me (umount /pve/data, resize file system, resize LV data, pvresize, and then resize /dev/sda2 (how much exactly? I fear "rounding" problems with size calculation).
Am I missing something simpler? Is there a very good and exaustive "error free" howto on the wiki?
Thanks a lot

 

[bread-baker]

fyi: do this to use partitions > 2-Tb.

this is how I've made a 4.5 TB partition in April, and today a 9-tb partition.
I am not an expert on this. search the net for more detail.

note a gpt label is required

fdisk can not do this. parted is needed.

proxmox will create a ms-dos type label. so you can not use that disk.

we used 3-ware and setup a boot volume [30gb] and used remainder of our 3-ware raid-6 array for a 9TB+ volume.

so proxmox will use sda

# you'll need to install parted
aptitude install parted

parted sdb

# make table:
mktable
New disk label type: gpt

# make partition:
mkpart primary xfs 1 100%

#use p to print table.

# note quit will save info
quit

# print table
parted -s /dev/sdb print
Model: AMCC 9650SE-8LP DISK (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 9968GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 9968GB 9968GB xfs


From past research I used xfs .
mkfs.xfs /dev/sdb1

 

[bread-baker]

for the 3ware card there is a setting called 'StoreSave' . with out a battery on the card this is supposed to be set to 'protection' or 'balance' . With a battery Performance is used.
these are pveperf tests

StoreSave set to balanced.
CPU BOGOMIPS: 19195.52
REGEX/SECOND: 789555
HD SIZE: 8911.18 GB (/dev/sdb1)
BUFFERED READS: 257.79 MB/sec
AVERAGE SEEK TIME: 17.41 ms
FSYNCS/SECOND: 22.07
DNS EXT: 99.13 ms

set to balance, we got similar FSYNCS using 2.6.18 and 2.6.32 pve kernels.

StoreSave set to 'Performance':
home4: ~ # pveperf /ht
CPU BOGOMIPS: 19195.52
REGEX/SECOND: 801220
HD SIZE: 8911.18 GB (/dev/sdb1)
BUFFERED READS: 227.77 MB/sec
AVERAGE SEEK TIME: 19.64 ms
FSYNCS/SECOND: 4283.72
DNS EXT: 72.72 ms