unable to create zfs root pool

[STR3IKERKRYPTON]

I have a dl380p gen8 with a p420i controller in hba mode. 2 SSDs (OS) and 6 HDDs (DATA) are installed. I tried to install Proxmox on the two SSDs in RAID 1 (ZFS). I was able to select the two hard drives and started the installation, but I got the following error message: unable to create zfs root pool. I updated the server in advance to version 8.1 and put my p420i RAID controller in hba mode. Is there now a solution how I can solve this problem without using an SD card, as I have read about many times? Is there any setting so that Proxmox can use the passed-through disks for zfs?

 

[STR3IKERKRYPTON]

Would it be possible to first install Proxmox on a single hard drive (HDD) and after the installation create the ZFS RAID with the two SSDs and then reinstall proxmox on the existing RAID1, or does the installer not recognize the existing RAID?

 

[Dunuin]

The installer doesn't care whats on those disks. It will wipe them first and then partition them.

 

[STR3IKERKRYPTON]

Update: I ran the installer again and strangely it ran without any problems or error messages. Now I have the problem that I've heard about several times, namely that I can't boot from a hard drive that's passed through in hba mode. In this case, am I forced to move the boot partition to another device such as an SD card or a USB stick? Or is there an alternative to enable direct booting from the hard drive.

 

[Dunuin]

In this case, am I forced to move the boot partition to another device such as an SD card or a USB stick?

Thats a common workaround, yes.

 

[STR3IKERKRYPTON]

I found this "documentation". I'd try the steps with the proxmox-boot-tool. But I have to questions about this. What happens if one of the RAID1 zfs disks breaks. Can I easily replace the disk and rebuild the zfs raid even if the boot partition is on the SD card? And I think the SD Card is a single point of failure in this caise right? If the SD Card breaks I dont have any backukp of it. What is the sensible approach here? Copy the data from the SD card to another one and store it somewhere safe or does the boot partition change during operation so that this is not possible?

 

[Dunuin]

2x SD or 2x pen drive or 1x pen drive + 1x SD and then use the proxmox-boot-tool to keep them in sync and set up both as the first and second boot devices in bios?

 

[STR3IKERKRYPTON]

Okay, that doesn't necessarily sound like the most elegant solution. If necessary, I simply have to install a second RAID controller that is suitable for passing hard drives through (e.g. H220) and connect my two SSDs there and the rest, which I don't have to boot from, can also run via the p420i.