I have a small server with 3 SAS disks (was 4 but one died and needs to be replaced) and I want to create a RAID 5 array and the put LVM over the RAID and then install Rocky. Anaconda built the RAID 5 array but I couldn’t specify LVM for the file system so I chose XFS. Now it’s all XFS but I want LVM so I can manage logical volumes with XFS on the mounted filesystems. What did I miss?
I know I’m probably have to start over (this will be the third time) but I can do that.
Basically, you did desire at least one partition in each drive (the ESP and /boot need their own too).
A RAID array spanning those partitions. PV on that array. VG on PV. LV’s on VG. Filesystems on LV’s.
LVM is not a filesystem.
In the interactive installer one creates – gosh, I don’t know what would be the appropriate term, so let say “volumes”.
In “volume” there will be filesystem (XFS being the default, but there are options) and it will be mounted somewhere.
The installer offers at least three modes: (1) each volume is a LV, (2) thin LV, or (3) traditional partition. The first mode is the default. The ESP (/boot/efi) and /boot do get traditional partitions, but others would by default be LVs.
For the LVs the installer automatically creates a VG and for that a PV in traditional partition.
Somewhere in there must be the option to create RAID array(s). I have not used that, so can’t tell where. Consequently, I have no idea how that changes the other options in the installer’s partitioning tool.
Yes, but you can have an xfs filesystem on an lvm logical volume.
Thanks, I understand the relationship between LVM and file systems. What I want to build is a system where I have one physical volume which is a RAID 5 array. Then I can build the file tree from mounted logical volumes. That’s not what Anaconda gives me. This would be similar to what you get with a hardware RAID.
What Anaconda gives you is a file tree where each mounted file system is an individual RAID array and no LVM at all.
I’m thinking that the only way to do this is to boot the installer from an iso, start it up in troublshooting mode AKA single user mode, partition the disks (taking care to set up /boot and /boot/efi as standard partitions), create the RAID array, define the RAID array as a PV and then restart the installer to actually load software.
Thanks gerry but you miss my point. The installer can create a RAID array but it won’t put LVM on top of it.