ext3 and LUN size >2Tb - Incompatible?
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#1 ext3 and LUN size >2Tb - Incompatible?
I have been reading on the web that the latest 1.3.0 drobo firmware still does not properly support ext3 file systems with a LUN size greater than 2Tb. Setting a larger LUN size can lead to massive file system corruption and data loss. There are numerous blog entries and forum posts relating to this.
The reason I am posting here is that drobo-utils will quite happily create such an incompatible configuration without warning and thus is potentially putting peoples data at risk when they start to utilise more than 2Tb capacity (days/weeks/months or maybe even years later).
Is this an issue the developers of this project are aware of? Can you update me on the situation? I have written up my understanding of the matter in a forum post here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7536339&postcount=5
Could a warning be added to the GUI and drobom to at least alert users to the fact they are doing something that is potentially dangerous and unsupported when formatting ext3 with LUN size >2Tb? I think this would save many people grief in the future.
Thanks, Chris.
This is a function of the firmware, and not the dashboard. Only Digital Robotics can fix it.
I have mentioned this to DRI staff in the past, and they have not understood the problem yet.
I am following up with them. ideas on how to get them more motivated/interested in addressing this
issue would be appreciated.
Hi Peter,
I realise this is a problem with the firmware and not your program. Just thought it might be nice to include a note in the readme or documentation as a warning _until_ this gets fixed by DR?
I will file a support case with them regarding this issue. Hopefully the more people that throw their weight behind it the more likely something will get done. I wonder if this is the reason Linux support is still in beta? Or maybe that's just an excuse for when things dont work out right...
Anyway, thanks for the utility and the time you've put into it. It's nice to be able to interface with the drobo from Linux.
Chris
that's a good idea... need to track working configs as a function of: file system, firmware level, and lunsize.
As of September (0.6.0) the GUI refuses to create a LUN > 2 TiB. The CLI assumes you know what you are doing and still does what you ask.
That's great news Peter. Thank you :)