Hi,
As I understand hard disk processes in order to use hard disks
bigger than 2TB in a single partition you must format those hard disks
using a GPT partition table. From what I have read the traditional DOS
partition table is only capable of addressing up to 2TB, and GPT was
developed to overcome this limitation. The one limitation with GPT as I
understand it is that in order to use GPT you must also have UEFI active
in the Bios.
From experience I have also found that you can't install the
windows system partition on a GPT device and I thought I read somewhere
that you also can't put Linux /boot on GPT either.
regards,
steve
On 05/09/2014 06:39 AM, CS_DBA wrote:
On 05/08/2014 12:28 PM, Chris Murphy wrote:
On May 6, 2014, at 6:18 PM, CS_DBA <cs_dba@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi all;
we've just ordered a new server
(http://www.spectrumservers.com/ssproducts/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=26&idproduct=787)
Originally I tried to simply upgrade an older server with more drive
space, I installed 6 4TB drives and did a new OS install but the OS
would not allow me to configure more than 2TB per drive.
I don't know what this is referring to when you say "the OS would not
allow". The kernel has no problem with 2.2+TB drives. Do you mean the
installer? Or some utility? What utility?
If the drives do not have a partition map at all, anaconda (the
installer) will use GPT on 2.2+TB drives. So long as the BIOS doesn't
puke on GPT (some of them do), and can at least load GRUB2 from that
point on it will work as GRUB2 supports GPT, so does the kernel, and
thus you can use big drives as boot drives.
If the BIOS pukes on GPT, the alternatives to buying a new computer
is to use a smaller drive for booting, but then use the big drives as
data drives, using either GPT to partition them, or no partition map
at all. You can directly use mdadm or lvm (pvcreate) or Btrfs on an
unpartitioned drive.
Subsequent research leads me to conclude that if the bios supports
UEFI and the installer boots as such then the installer should see
4TB drives without any issues. I'm also assuming that any server I
order today (i.e. a more modern server) should ship with UEFI
support in the bios.
Not necessarily, although they are now a lot more common than they
were even a year ago.
Are my conclusions above per UEFI correct?
Yes although I'm not sure you need a new computer to fix this problem.
Agreed, we didn't order the new server to fix this issue, we ordered
the server to upgrade another older server. However I wanted to
address this issue at the same time...
Chris Murphy
begin:vcard
fn:Stephen Morris
n:Morris;Stephen
email;internet:samorris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
x-mozilla-html:TRUE
version:2.1
end:vcard
--
users mailing list
users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe or change subscription options:
https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users
Fedora Code of Conduct: http://fedoraproject.org/code-of-conduct
Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines
Have a question? Ask away: http://ask.fedoraproject.org
