zfs discuss - Apr 2011 - Bootable root pool?

Hi,

As I understand it there were restrictions on a bootable root pool where it
cannot be defined to use whole-disk configurations for a single disk, or
multiple disks which are mirrored.

Does it still apply that you need to define such pools as using slices, ie. by
either defining a partition (if non-SPARC) and then a slice 0? i.e.

   zpool create mirror c1t0d0 c1t1d0    # not bootable

while

   zpool create mirror c1t0d0s0 c1t1d0s0    # IS bootable

Is it possible to use cache and log devices in a root pool? If so, does this
restriction on the use of a slice rather than just the disk device also apply
here? i.e. would the following be supported:

   zpool create mirror c1t0d0s0 c1t1d0s0 cache c2t0d0 log c2t1d0

Thanks,

Darren.

Hi Darren,

Yes, a bootable root pool must be created on a disk slice.

You can use a cache device, but not a log device, and the cache device
must be a disk slice.

See the output below.

Thanks,

Cindy

# zpool add rpool log c0t2d0s0
cannot add to ''rpool'': root pool can not have multiple vdevs
or separate
logs
# zpool add rpool cache c0t3d0
cannot label ''c0t3d0'': EFI labeled devices are not supported
on root pools.
# zpool add rpool cache c0t3d0s0
# zpool status rpool
   pool: rpool
  state: ONLINE
  scan: none requested
config:

         NAME        STATE     READ WRITE CKSUM
         rpool       ONLINE       0     0     0
           c0t0d0s0  ONLINE       0     0     0
         cache
           c0t3d0s0  ONLINE       0     0     0

errors: No known data errors



On 04/18/11 10:22, Darren Kenny wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> As I understand it there were restrictions on a bootable root pool where it
> cannot be defined to use whole-disk configurations for a single disk, or
> multiple disks which are mirrored.
> 
> Does it still apply that you need to define such pools as using slices, ie.
by
> either defining a partition (if non-SPARC) and then a slice 0? i.e.
> 
>    zpool create mirror c1t0d0 c1t1d0    # not bootable
> 
> while
> 
>    zpool create mirror c1t0d0s0 c1t1d0s0    # IS bootable
> 
> Is it possible to use cache and log devices in a root pool? If so, does
this
> restriction on the use of a slice rather than just the disk device also
apply
> here? i.e. would the following be supported:
> 
>    zpool create mirror c1t0d0s0 c1t1d0s0 cache c2t0d0 log c2t1d0
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Darren.
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> zfs-discuss mailing list
> zfs-discuss at opensolaris.org
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