# How to install FreeBSD 8 with raid 1, 5 and 10 at a time in 10 separate disks



## jfme (Mar 28, 2010)

How to install FreeBSD 8 with raid 1, 5 and 10 at a time in 10 separate disks:

Hi guys

My problem is I have to install FreeBSD 8.0 to work with raids in a way a bit complex in my 10 disks (I am using Virtual Box to verify if they work):

-> Disk a and b: / boot with Raid 1
   I think we could also put the / swap

-> Disk c (8GB), d (8GB), and (8GB) and f (8GB) / with Raid 5

-> Disk g (8GB), h (8GB), i (8GB), j (8GB): / home with Raid 10

I've been reading a lot in forums and pages but I have not found a way to get it. Any ideas?

Sorry for the translation (I do not speak English) and thank you very much in advance


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## graudeejs (Mar 28, 2010)

Did you consider using zfs and any of raidz or raidz2?


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## jfme (Mar 28, 2010)

killasmurf86 said:
			
		

> Did you consider using zfs and any of raidz or raidz2?



No, I use raid 1 for / boot, raid 5 for / and raid 1 +0 for / home.

Zfs could use instead of raid 5 but not really what I want ...


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## rhyous (Mar 28, 2010)

Well, if you have a RAID card, you configure the RAID using the RAID card, then the RAID card handles everything. So you use the RAID software an make your three RAID arrays.  FreeBSD will only see 3 disks, one for each of your RAID arrays.


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## jfme (Mar 29, 2010)

OK thanks, but I haven't a RAID card. I'm trying to install from VirtualBox by software.

I created the ten discs in VirtualBox and i joined them in one Virtual Machine. But unlike Debian or CentOS, which has a option to install with RAIDS, FreeBSD not, because he doesn't assume it. I see the option to partition the drive but not to assign it as RAID.

I need join the disks in RAIDS then FreeBSD will only see three disks, one for each RAID array and i will can install it

Any ideas?


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## phoenix (Mar 29, 2010)

jfme said:
			
		

> How to install FreeBSD 8 with raid 1, 5 and 10 at a time in 10 separate disks:
> 
> My problem is I have to install FreeBSD 8.0 to work with raids in a way a bit complex in my 10 disks (I am using Virtual Box to verify if they work):
> 
> ...



Why a separate /boot partition?  I understand the reasons for this on Linux, as GRUB can't directly boot off some filesystems, but what's the point on FreeBSD?  Just use a single / filesystem with /boot as just a directory on there.  Partition each of 2 disks into two slices:  s1 for the / filesystem and s2 for swap.  Then use gmirror to create the RAID1 mirror across the two s1 slices.



> -> Disk c (8GB), d (8GB), and (8GB) and f (8GB) / with Raid 5


Does it absolutely have to be RAID5?  If so, there's an experimental geom_raid5 class available as a patch that enables graid5 support.  Otherwise, use ZFS and raidz.



> -> Disk g (8GB), h (8GB), i (8GB), j (8GB): / home with Raid 10


Why separate this out into a separate RAID10?  Just use ZFS with multiple raidz vdevs, or even multiple mirror vdevs if you want the most speed.


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## phoenix (Mar 29, 2010)

jfme said:
			
		

> OK thanks, but I haven't a RAID card. I'm trying to install from VirtualBox by software.
> 
> I created the ten discs in VirtualBox and i joined them in one Virtual Machine. But unlike Debian or CentOS, which has a option to install with RAIDS, FreeBSD not, because he doesn't assume it. I see the option to partition the drive but not to assign it as RAID.
> 
> ...



The default installer, sysinstall, does not support any of the fancy GEOM classes (gstripe, gmirror, graid3, graid5, etc) nor does it support ZFS.  You have to do a manual install, or do a bunch of manual work after the install, to get things working with software RAID.

There's a couple threads in the How-To forum that cover the ZFS side of things.  And the gmirror side is covered in the Handbook, I believe.


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