Creating zpools from non-continuous disks (or how to add Volumes via CLI)

[Michael Sierchio]

The WebGUI is maddening on this particular count - I would like to create raidz2 pools from disks across my 6 adapters (the box seems designed to do this - a SunFire X4500 w/48 disks). This is trivial on the command line:

zpool create blah \
raidz2 da0 da8 da16 da24 da32 da40 \
raidz2 da1 da9 da17 da25 da33 da41

but of course this isn't recognized by the ZFS Volume Manager. The Volume Manager, though, seems designed *solely* for adding contiguous ranges of disks, like da0 da1 ... da5 - which sucks, in my case. I realize that not many folks will feel sorry for me having a 48TB box (hey, it was free), but I'd very much like to use FreeNAS, and I'd like to solve this problem.

I note that when using the WebGUI to create a volume, it creates gpt ids for the disks. Maybe there's some trick I could do in a shell to make this happen? Currently baffled. Below is what dmesg reports for my disks, btw.


Cheers!

- Michael

da0 at mpt0 bus 0 scbus2 target 0 lun 0
da1 at mpt0 bus 0 scbus2 target 1 lun 0
da2 at mpt0 bus 0 scbus2 target 2 lun 0
da3 at mpt0 bus 0 scbus2 target 3 lun 0
da4 at mpt0 bus 0 scbus2 target 4 lun 0
da5 at mpt0 bus 0 scbus2 target 5 lun 0
da6 at mpt0 bus 0 scbus2 target 6 lun 0
da7 at mpt0 bus 0 scbus2 target 7 lun 0

da8 at mpt1 bus 0 scbus3 target 0 lun 0
da9 at mpt1 bus 0 scbus3 target 1 lun 0
da10 at mpt1 bus 0 scbus3 target 2 lun 0
da11 at mpt1 bus 0 scbus3 target 3 lun 0
da12 at mpt1 bus 0 scbus3 target 4 lun 0
da13 at mpt1 bus 0 scbus3 target 5 lun 0
da14 at mpt1 bus 0 scbus3 target 6 lun 0
da15 at mpt1 bus 0 scbus3 target 7 lun 0

da16 at mpt2 bus 0 scbus4 target 0 lun 0
da17 at mpt2 bus 0 scbus4 target 1 lun 0
da18 at mpt2 bus 0 scbus4 target 2 lun 0
da19 at mpt2 bus 0 scbus4 target 3 lun 0
da20 at mpt2 bus 0 scbus4 target 4 lun 0
da21 at mpt2 bus 0 scbus4 target 5 lun 0
da22 at mpt2 bus 0 scbus4 target 6 lun 0
da23 at mpt2 bus 0 scbus4 target 7 lun 0

da24 at mpt3 bus 0 scbus5 target 0 lun 0
da25 at mpt3 bus 0 scbus5 target 1 lun 0
da26 at mpt3 bus 0 scbus5 target 2 lun 0
da27 at mpt3 bus 0 scbus5 target 3 lun 0
da28 at mpt3 bus 0 scbus5 target 4 lun 0
da29 at mpt3 bus 0 scbus5 target 5 lun 0
da30 at mpt3 bus 0 scbus5 target 6 lun 0
da31 at mpt3 bus 0 scbus5 target 7 lun 0

da32 at mpt4 bus 0 scbus6 target 0 lun 0
da33 at mpt4 bus 0 scbus6 target 1 lun 0
da34 at mpt4 bus 0 scbus6 target 2 lun 0
da35 at mpt4 bus 0 scbus6 target 3 lun 0
da36 at mpt4 bus 0 scbus6 target 4 lun 0
da37 at mpt4 bus 0 scbus6 target 5 lun 0
da38 at mpt4 bus 0 scbus6 target 6 lun 0
da39 at mpt4 bus 0 scbus6 target 7 lun 0

da40 at mpt5 bus 0 scbus7 target 0 lun 0
da41 at mpt5 bus 0 scbus7 target 1 lun 0
da42 at mpt5 bus 0 scbus7 target 2 lun 0
da43 at mpt5 bus 0 scbus7 target 3 lun 0
da44 at mpt5 bus 0 scbus7 target 4 lun 0
da45 at mpt5 bus 0 scbus7 target 5 lun 0
da46 at mpt5 bus 0 scbus7 target 6 lun 0
da47 at mpt5 bus 0 scbus7 target 7 lun 0

 

[warri]

Yes, you can create the pool from CLI. See this thread for details how to create the partitions and gptids. After that FreeNAS should be able to auto-import your pool.

 

[Dusan]

The WebGUI is maddening on this particular count - I would like to create raidz2 pools from disks across my 6 adapters (the box seems designed to do this - a SunFire X4500 w/48 disks). This is trivial on the command line:

Unfortunately this is not possible with the 9.x volume manager. If you want to use the GUI you need to create the pool in FreeNAS 8.3.2.

I note that when using the WebGUI to create a volume, it creates gpt ids for the disks. Maybe there's some trick I could do in a shell to make this happen? Currently baffled.

You can find the commands in this thread: http://forums.freenas.org/threads/create-zfs-mirror-by-adding-a-drive.14880/

 

[cyberjock]

All you need to do is select the first 8 disks, then make a RAIDZ2. Then go back and select the next 8 and do an "expand" of RAIDZ2.

You do not need to add contiguous ranges. Hold down ctrl when chosing the disks.

 

[Dusan]

You do not need to add contiguous ranges. Hold down ctrl when chosing the disks.

Yeah, that worked in 8.3.x, but how do you do that in 9.x?

 

[cyberjock]

Yeah, that worked in 8.3.x, but how do you do that in 9.x?

Umm.. oh yeah.. shot myself in the head on that one. I was picturing the old volume manager. You're right. You can't.

 

[david kennedy]

Totally hijacking your thread but I also have a X4500 and its not something you see a lot of (especially for home use).

I am not as luck as you and had to pay for mine :(

I am looking to move it off solaris and will be following this thread.

 

[cyberjock]

If I were in your cases I'd go to 8.3.2 and make the pool. Force 4k sector for future compatibility in the volume manager regardless of if you have 4k sector disks or not. Then when your pool is built exactly how you want it upgrade to 9.1.1. I have had to do this for some friends. Additionally I haven't upgraded the pool to v5000 yet just in case I have a need to use the old volume manager. There's no significant benefits to v5000 yet so there shouldn't be a reason for you to upgrade except for you to say you did it. :P

 

[rcstevensonaz]

If I were in your cases I'd go to 8.3.2 and make the pool. Force 4k sector for future compatibility in the volume manager regardless of if you have 4k sector disks or not. Then when your pool is built exactly how you want it upgrade to 9.1.1. I have had to do this for some friends. Additionally I haven't upgraded the pool to v5000 yet just in case I have a need to use the old volume manager. There's no significant benefits to v5000 yet so there shouldn't be a reason for you to upgrade except for you to say you did it. :p

So why did I just leave Nas4Free and come over to FreeNAS only to have lost the ability to use the GUI for anything but the most trivial of "optimal" configurations? I'm on a Norco 4220 and I want to split my vdev across multiple backplanes since I view them as the weakest link in my system. Sigh.

I want the GUI for the GPT/labels, the 4K sector forced align, etc. Yes, I can do manual CLI... but this is the type of thing that the GUI is supposed to help make easier.