DiskSuite "metadb" contains no replicas

[jxfish2]

I keep getting this message:

The Metastate Database (metadb) contains no replicas.

You must add at least 1 replica to it before you can commit any metadevices you create.

I have attempted to create replicas using the following command:

metadb -a -f c0t0d0s0

I only have one disk in this machine at the moment. It's a small disk, so I only created one large partition... It was too difficult trying to maintain different partitions, when my total disk space was so restrictive...

I will be adding some additional disks in the near future, but for now, want to know how to install and setup DiskSuite...

Actually, I've successfully installed the software, but now need to configure it...

When I attempt to start the GUI, I continue to get the above error, EVEN after running the "metadb -a -f" command...

Any help would be much appreciated...

TIA

Joe

 

[mikeclark]

Download the DiskSuit manual from "docs.sun.com" for info for starters.
You won't be able to create replicas or setup anything with disksuit without having disk slices (partitians ) to play with. You will have to wait until you get some more disk installed to get your hands dirty on this.

 

[jxfish2]

So, what you're telling me is this...

I now have a single 4GB disk, with a single large partition...

df -k gives the following output:

Filesystem kbytes used avail capacity Mounted on
/dev/dsk/c0t0d0s0 3608078 2112587 1459411 60% /
/proc 0 0 0 0% /proc
fd 0 0 0 0% /dev/fd
mnttab 0 0 0 0% /etc/mnttab
swap 774344 0 774344 0% /var/run
swap 774664 320 774344 1% /tmp

You're saying that I won't be able to use DiskSuite, without first creating some additional partitions... Is this correct?

How will I be able to extend this base filesystem, extending it across the second disk, when I am ready to install the second disk?

Will I be able to use a combination of base commands to do this?

i.e.

format

mkfs

fsck

mknod

If attempting to create and extend the current filesystem across another disk, what are the sequence of commands necessary under Solaris?

I can do this under HP-UX, Linux and Windows, but Solaris doesn't see the raw devices the same way that any of these other Operating Systems do!

A complete list, step by step, would be nice... I don't really care about the syntax, as I can probably figure it out on my own...

But, any help would be much appreciated...

I would prefer to know the exact steps, rather than experimenting, as I have a fair amount of time, effort and applications already on this box, and I don't really want to rebuild it again...

The other thing that would be nice... To know how to create separate slices under Solaris 8, when I've already got a complete operating system in place, with a single partition or slice...

TIA

Joe

 

[125005]

Hi
The metadb files keps the information abt all metadevice and anything new you commit it is immediately updates in the metadb files. so we should keep atleast 3 copys of the same metadb information for redundancy.B'cos if metadb is corrupt means all the metadevice will be loose sync and there is high chance of loosing data.
Normally we sd keep the copies of the metadb in different harddisks for safety measure..as you have only one hard disk you can try this...but you will loose one complete partition(slice)thats why Mike was telling tou need some more harddisk to play with slice.
After installtion of disksuite

metadb -a -f c0t0d0s0 c0t0d0s4 c0t0d0s5
this will make 3 copies of metadb in the corresponding slice.
now using metainit command you can do Stripping or concatination or Raid or Trans device or Hot spare or Mirroring all supported by disksuite.

for mor details go through the disksuite admin guide from docs.sun.com
Thanks
Praful

 

[jxfish2]

Thanks for the information...

I just picked up a new 18GB hard drive, and am ready to install it in my system...

Can anyone tell me exactly, the steps I need to perform, to install it, and configure it?

TIA

Joe

PS... I picked up 2 new 18 GB drives... One of them, I installed in my HP-UX box... It was installed, configured and added to an existing volume group in less than 5 minutes... That included physically mounting the drive in the drive bay... INCREDIBLY easy under HP-UX... Then again, I'm a Senior HP-UX Administrator / Engineer by trade...

 

[cfsalmeida]

Don't forget that partition to contain SDS replicas is only for SDS use, if you are using c0t0d0s0 as root partition, you cannot create a SDS database on this one, also there are no advantage to spread replicas on the same device as c0t0d0s6 and c0t0d0s7 are both same device, (c0t0), (but create at least 3 replicas on same partition), a “usually way” is to reserve slice 7 to SDS database use, so create a partition on slice 7 to hold at least 3 replicas, eg:
# metadb -a –c 3 -f c0t0d0s7
# metadb
flags first blk block count
a u 16 1034 /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s7
a u 1050 1034 /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s7
a u 2084 1034 /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s7

usually we configure more than one device (like in mirror, raid5 or stripe configuration), so you can also replicate the database replicas across devices, but at least create 3 replicas on same partition, eg:
# metadb -a –c 3 -f metadb c0t0d0s7 c0t1d0s7

to hold 3 replicas create the partition with +/- 3MB (on a 18GB disk, usually 1 or 2 cylinders is sufficient, if you plan to use soft partitions create the SDS database partition with +/- 10MB, when configuring SDS on a system previously installed with disks with all space used in partitions you can take the last cylinders from “swap” partition ..

Hope it helps,

Carlos Almeida,

 

[KenCunningham]

As far as installing your new drive is concerned, either make sure you have a file called reconfigure (just an empty file of that name ...touch reconfigure... will do it) in your root directory before bringing the system down and plugging in your new drive, or bring your system down, install the new drive and issue a boot -r so that the system looks for new devices. You should then see your new drive using format, and slice it according to your requirements. Hope this helps.

 

[jxfish2]

Thanks for all of the input...

This last bit of information is what I needed...

Now, for one last question on this subject...

Once I've installed the new disk, and partitioned it, etc...

How can I extend an existing logical volume, or filesystem? In other words, I installed a new disk, because I ran out of space, and have a need to grow
one or more of my partitions, to accomodate new data or applications...

TIA

Joe

 

[KenCunningham]

Use Disksuite to add slices and to grow filesystems - the documentation at

http://www.docs.sun.com

(mentioned by Mike above) takes you through this step-by-step, either using the GUI or at the command prompt. Cheers.

 

[jxfish2]

Hey everyone...

It's me again...

I've been through the documents, and found the exact entries needed to add multiple slices, when only one disk is available...

When I open DiskSuite, I can now see the disk, and all of the slices I created...

However, the system STILL won't allow me to create the DB Replicas...

I've tried from the command line:

> metadb -a -f -c 3 c0t0d0s3

# Which is direct from the documentation...

I've tried substituting other slices, all with the same results...

Inside of DiskSuite, you can also create Replicas, by dragging the slices over the MetaDB object in the metatool GUI...

However, I keep getting the same error:

Your attempt to attach metastate database replicas on slice "c0t0d0s0" failed for the following reason: Slice cannot contain replicas.

I get this same error, regardless of which slice I try to use...

Has anyone seen this before, or know why this might be happening?

TIA

Joe

 

[KenCunningham]

Your replicas need to be on a slice where no other data is kept. Usually a small 10Mb slice or so (generally slice 7) is enough. Hope this helps.

 

[jxfish2]

Thanks Ken,

So, I'll need to create at least 3 small slices, that don't contain any data... ( According to the instructions, there should be at least 3 slices. )

Is there a standard naming convention for these, as they're not really filesystems?

Thanks in advance,

Joe

 

[jxfish2]

Another question...

Aside from the naming convention, is there a particular type of filesystem that they should be created as?

I'm assuming that there won't be a mount point...

Is this correct?

Joe

 

[KenCunningham]

Sorry - the weekend intervened! The metadb replica's aren't 'filesystems' as such, and won't appear in your df output as such. If you just allocate a few Mb to slice 7 on some of your disks, you can then issue the metadb -a -f with the disk/slice info. and that should hopefully set up your metadb for use. Hope this helps.

 

[jxfish2]

Hi Ken,

You still haven't told me how to create the small slices, or what to call them...

I'm attempting to re-build my system for the 10th time, and am sitting at the install partitioning screen...

I tried to create a new partition, but the partitioning tool won't let me enter a name, without the "/" in front of the name... By prefixing a "/", I logically create a new filesystem...

DiskSuite will NOT let me use a slice that contains a valid filesystem...

I've already gone that route several times... It isn't working!

So, what and how do I create these new slices, without a valid filesystem?

What naming convention do I give them?

 

[mikeclark]

Use Format to partitian the disk and create a partitian (usually partitian 7) and leave the label as unassigned. Don't run newfs on this partitian. If you use the Disksuit GUI to create the replicas you can create 3 replicas on this partitian. ( You have to create the 3 in one go - you can't add one and then add more in the same partitian. )