Topic: RAID 1 error creating swap on md2

[Ray Mitchell]

Hi All
I am trying to set up a Pent II 233Mhz PC with sme v5.1.2, and set up software RAID 1 using 2x 40Gb IBM IDE HDD. The BIOS was updated to recognise the 40Gb drives. The 2 drives are brand new identical & same model number.

HDD 1 is Primary Master
HDD 2 is Secondary Master
CDROM is Secondary Slave

After selecting Dual drive instal using software RAID 1, I see the following quickly flash on the screen:
formatting swap space on dev/md2
then receive the error
Error creating swap on device md2

The instal will continue, but it appears just to be a single disk instal, no information in cat /proc/mdstat.

I also tried the same instal using e-smith v4.1.2 and received the same error message.

I saw a previous thread re problem with a Compaq instal and a similar error message. I have set the BIOS so that the HDD drive parameters are bog standard, nothing fancy just basic settings or disabled settings for performance enhancement.
I have physically swapped the drives and put them on different controller channels.

It doesn't matter what I do, I still get the same error message.
I can do a single disk instal using either disk, and it instals OK.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Ray Mitchell

[Jason]

I have noticed the same behavior with 4.1.2, 5.1.2 and 5.0 beta, I even submitted the error message to the bugs list and have not heard anything.  I hope you get an answer because my post and several others have gone unanswered.


Good luck

[Ray Mitchell]

For what it's worth I did do another clean instal of sme 5.1.2 using a Celeron 600 with 128Mb RAM and a Pioneer CD/DCD drive and the same 2x 40Gb drives as a RAID1 sofwware configuration. It worked perfectly the first time. Mind you it took over 6 hours for the disk resyncing to complete, but it's up and running nicely now. Confirmed OK with the cat /proc/mdstat command. Thanks e-smith mitel and Charlie Brady and the gang.

Charlie, thanks for your feedback, I will have another look at the Pent 233 machine later, I would still like to get it up as a RAID1 machine, but it's possible there is some hardware motherboard ? or BIOS issue ?? seeing that I could do the above instal using the same hard drives OK.

Regards
Ray Mitchell

[Rich Lafferty]

Jason wrote:
> I hope you get an answer because my
> post and several others have gone unanswered.

Jason,

One of our support representatives sent you email on February 2nd asking for
more information. I'll resend that message shortly in case the first failed to
arrive.

(For the benefit of Ray and others reading: Please remember that these forums
are not an official means of communicating with Mitel Networks, and that we
may not read every post! Please report bugs to bugs@e-smith.com.)

Cheers,

Rich Lafferty
Network Server Solutions Group
Mitel Networks

[Ray Mitchell]

Dear All

I have had some success setting up the original Pentium II 233 box with a RAID1  software sme 5.1.2 instal.
I changed the RAM from a 32 MB module to a 128 MB (PC133) module and the instal went perfectly.
I do not suspect that the 32 MB RAM is faulty as it has been in service since the PC was originally purchased approx 4 yrs ago without having any problems or errors that I can recall (ie running Win95), but anything is possible.

Just to make sure I removed the 128MB RAM and replaced it with the original 32MB and the RAID1 instal was again unsuccessful, same error message creating swap on md2. Put the 128MB back in and RAID1 instal runs OK.

I don't know why this is but to others who have experienced this similar problem, it might be worth a try to "change" the RAM.

Regards
Ray Mitchell

[stephen]

> Just to make sure I removed the 128MB RAM and
> replaced it with the original
> 32MB and the RAID1 instal was again unsuccessful,

i've found 64mb to be the minimum for SMEserver or you start to get errors.


stephen noble

[Ray Mitchell]

Stephen
Ponit accepted re your experienece, (the old adage the more RAM the better I guess applies everywhere), but the manual does suggest a minimum of 32MB is OK
see http://www.e-smith.org/docs/manual/5.1/hardwarecat1.html
Regards
Ray Mitchell