Errors booting of the ZFS alternative mirror disk

[Jeremy Chadwick]

On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 08:32:50PM +0100, Willem Jan Withagen wrote:
> On 30-1-2011 16:02, Jeremy Chadwick wrote:
> > On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 03:50:25PM +0100, Willem Jan Withagen wrote:
> >> On 2011-01-30 15:30, Jeremy Chadwick wrote:
> >>> On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 02:30:58PM +0100, Willem Jan Withagen wrote:
> >>>> Hi,
> >>>>
> >>>> I've configured a fresh and new Supermicro server (with an X8SIL-F
> >>>> motherboard) an 2* 500GB seagate  ST3500514NS 's.
> >>>> Disks are connected to:
> >>>> 	atapci0:<Intel 5 Series/3400 Series PCH SATA300 controller>
> >>>>
> >>>> I've created gpt partitions for freebsd-boot,swap,zfs on both disks.
> >>>> Wrote gptzfsboot in boot bootsectors.
> >>>> gpart add -s 128 -b34 -t freebsd-root ad{4,6}
> >>>> gpart add -s 16G      -t freebsd-swap ad{4,6}
> >>>> gpart add -s 100G     -t freebsd-zfs  ad{4,6}
> >>>> gpart bootcode -b /boot/pmbr -p /boot/gptzfsboot -i 1 ad)4,6}
> >>>>
> >>>> After which I did the "regular stuff" to create the system.
> >>>>
> >>>> Which seemed to have worked because when both disks are in the
> >>>> system everything is hunky-dory and boots as expected.
> >>>> Same for booting with the second disk removed.
> >>>>
> >>>> But with only the second disk in the system, it does not boot. Not
> >>>> even when I put it in the bay of the first disk.
> >>>>
> >>>> On screen I get:
> >>>> Error 1  lba 32
> >>>> Error 1  lba 1
> >>>> Error 1  lba 32
> >>>> Error 1  lba 1
> >>>> No ZFS pools located, can't boot
> >>>>
> >>>> I browsed thru the ZFS bootcode, but that is way to sophisticated for me.
> >>>>
> >>>> So why doesn't it like to boot of the second disk?
> >>>> What did I forget to do?
> >>>>
> >>>> Which is what I would like for this system to be able to do, in case
> >>>> of failure of the first disk.
> >>>
> >>> uname -a output please.
> >>>
> >> FreeBSD big.medusa.nl 8.2-PRERELEASE FreeBSD 8.2-PRERELEASE #2: Sat Jan
> >> 29 22:11:44 CET 2011     wjw at big.medusa.nl:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/BIG  amd64
> >>
> >> Haven't tested it with this version though, but only with the build I
> >> did on 22 Jan, and then it didn't work.
> > 
> > Thanks.  The reason I asked for this was that there were some changes to
> > the ZFS bootloader which may have addressed your problem, but those
> > would have been before January 29th.
> 
> Oke, enough reason to update again, and see what comes of it.
> It will have to wait until some of the bonnie tests are completed.

Sorry, I should be more clear: the changes I was referring to was
committed back in September 2010, which means your RELENG_8 kernel of
January 29th already has it.  There's no need to update again.

What I'm referring to:

http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-fs/2010-August/009016.html
http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-fs/2010-August/009018.html
http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=148655

> > This command looks suspicious thought, specifically the "-b34" argument:
> > 
> >>>> gpart add -s 128 -b34 -t freebsd-root ad{4,6}
> > 
> > Someone else will have to comment on the implications of that; I don't
> > use GPT.
> 
> Right, I see, but this comes from the "manuals" like:
> http://www.freebsdwiki.net/index.php/ZFS,_booting_from#Create_GPT_Disks
> 
> And just to counter your suggestion:
> 	It does work for the "regular" first disk!
> 	So why not for a second disk?

As stated, someone else will have to comment on the gpart arguments, as
well as what the actual problem is.  I don't have an answer.

-- 
| Jeremy Chadwick                                   jdc at parodius.com |
| Parodius Networking                       http://www.parodius.com/ |
| UNIX Systems Administrator                  Mountain View, CA, USA |
| Making life hard for others since 1977.               PGP 4BD6C0CB |