FreeBSD 5.3 and vinum upgrade #2

[Nikolaj Hansen]

Hi all,

Forget the first post. My server is still somewhat unstable after the 
upgrade attempts, and I appologize. Here goes the real deal:

I tried to upgrade my existing 5.2.1 to a 5.3. I ran into severe 
problems with my vinum setup in trying to do so. I think i can answer 
why, the reason is stated here:

http://www.freebsd.org/releases/5.3R/errata.html

More exactly:

"31 Oct 2004, updated on 12 Nov 2004) The vinum(4) subsystem works on 
5.3, but it can cause a system panic at boot time. As a workaround you 
can add vinum_load="YES" to /boot/loader.conf.

As an alternative you can also use the new geom(4)-based vinum(4) 
subsystem. To activate the geom(4)-aware vinum at boot time, add 
geom_vinum_load="YES" to /boot/loader.conf and remove start_vinum="YES" 
in /etc/rc.conf if it exists.

While some uncommon configurations, such as multiple vinum drives on a 
disk, are not supported, it is generally backward compatible. Note that 
for the geom(4)-aware vinum, its new userland control program, gvinum, 
should be used, and it is not yet feature-complete."

I think I have to disagree calling muliple drives on a disk "uncommon".
In fact, I think I remember that being the way it was demonstrated in an 
old version of the handbook. Here is my current setup after rolling back 
to FreeBSD 5.2.1:

3 drives:
D elben                 State: up       /dev/da1s1h     A: 0/7825 MB (0%)
D donau                 State: up       /dev/da0s1h     A: 0/7825 MB (0%)
D spree                 State: up       /dev/ad4a       A: 3/114473 MB (0%)

5 volumes:
V var                   State: up       Plexes:       2 Size:        600 MB
V tmp                   State: up       Plexes:       2 Size:        600 MB
V home                  State: up       Plexes:       2 Size:       1000 MB
V usr                   State: up       Plexes:       2 Size:       5625 MB
V data01                State: up       Plexes:       1 Size:        111 GB

9 plexes:
P var.p0              C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:        600 MB
P tmp.p0              C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:        600 MB
P home.p0             C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:       1000 MB
P usr.p0              C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:       5625 MB
P var.p1              C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:        600 MB
P tmp.p1              C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:        600 MB
P home.p1             C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:       1000 MB
P usr.p1              C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:       5625 MB
P data01.p0           C State: up       Subdisks:     1 Size:        111 GB

9 subdisks:
S var.p0.s0             State: up       D: donau        Size:        600 MB
S tmp.p0.s0             State: up       D: donau        Size:        600 MB
S home.p0.s0            State: up       D: donau        Size:       1000 MB
S usr.p0.s0             State: up       D: donau        Size:       5625 MB
S var.p1.s0             State: up       D: elben        Size:        600 MB
S tmp.p1.s0             State: up       D: elben        Size:        600 MB
S home.p1.s0            State: up       D: elben        Size:       1000 MB
S usr.p1.s0             State: up       D: elben        Size:       5625 MB
S data01.p0.s0          State: up       D: spree        Size:        111 GB

The donau and elben are two identical disks containing all of the system 
partitions.

As far as I can tell, the new 5.3 release makes this disk configuration 
invalid?

If yes, is that a permanent decision, or something that will change in 
near future say 5.4?

If not I have a major problem here :-(
-- 

With regards / med venlig hilsen

Nikolaj Hansen
Algade 15, 2 tv
9000  Aalborg
Danmark

"Even on the highest throne in the world, we are seated, still, upon our 
arses." - Montaigne