"Linux RAID Disk Install/Backup Procedure"
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Problem:
=======
  With the current Linux packages we support it is not currently
   possible to install Linux to a RAID system disk.
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Solution:
========
  First create a system disk on either an IDE or SCSI device then
   transfer the data to a RAID device.
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Prerequisites:
=============

  note:  the RAID disk which you plan on using as a system disk
	  must be "at least" the same size as the system disk 
	  from which it is to be copied...  If a larger RAID 
          device is used, the remaining device space is 
          unavailable.

  =>  the RAID device which you plan on using as the system boot disk
	must be configured as the first RAID device seen by the Linux
        Operating Software.
      note: configure the RAID device in the system so that when 
               you boot this device the boot_osflags parameter will 
               read "root=/dev/rd/c0d0p2".

  =>  upgrade this system to the V5.7-xx console stream or later.
	note:  This will be for RAID device recognition at 
		the console level.

  =>  build a system disk on either a SCSI or IDE disk.

  =>  upgrade this system disk to have a minimum of the 2.2.14 kernel
        or later.
	note:  This kernel can be obtained at website
		ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/mylex

  =>  upgrade the DAC960 driver to V2.2.5, dated January 2000 or later.
	note:  This driver can be obtained at website
		ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/DEC/Linux-Alpha/mylex

  =>  identify the RAID device to which the system disk will be copied.
	This can be done by issuing the "dmesg" command at the system 
	prompt. The dmesg command returns a listing of all devices the 
	system identified during the bootup routine.

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Backup Procedure:
====== =========

  =>  copy the fstab to another file, (example: fstab-old).

	cp fstab fstab-old

  	note:  copy the fstab, DO NOT move it as you will
		be returning to this file in the future
		to maintain the current system disk as valid.

  =>  modify/edit the fstab to reflect the mount points and 
	device partitions of the RAID disk.

	Following are two examples of a system disk fstab.
	  Example 1 is an example of a SCSI system disk fstab
	    taken from the RedHat 6.0 package...
          Example 2 is an example of what that fstab would look
	    like when modified to reflect a RAID system disk.

	           Example 1 (SCSI system disk fstab)
	           ----------------------------------
	/dev/sda2      /           ext2      defaults         1 1
	/dev/sda4      /usr        ext2      defaults         1 2
        /dev/sda3      swap        swap      defaults         0 0
        /cdrom         /mnt/cdrom  iso9660   noauto,owner,ro  0 0
        /dev/fd0       /mnt/floppy ext2      noauto,owner     0 0
        none           /proc       proc      defaults         0 0
        none           /dev/pts    devpts    gid=5,mode=620   0 0


	           Example 2 (RAID system disk fstab)
	           ----------------------------------
	/dev/rd/c0d0p2  /           ext2      defaults         1 1
	/dev/rd/c0d0p4  /usr        ext2      defaults         1 2
        /dev/rd/c0d0p3  swap        swap      defaults         0 0
        /cdrom          /mnt/cdrom  iso9660   noauto,owner,ro  0 0
        /dev/fd0        /mnt/floppy ext2      noauto,owner     0 0
        none            /proc       proc      defaults         0 0
        none            /dev/pts    devpts    gid=5,mode=620   0 0


  =>  backup up the current disk to the RAID set.

	dd of=(RAID set) if=(current system disk)

	(example:  dd  of=/dev/rd/c0d0  if=/dev/sda)

  =>  once the backup is completed, replace the old fstab, 
	(cp fstab-old fstab), with the original fstab to 
        reflect the mount points and device partitions 
	of the current system disk.

  =>  shutdown the system.
	note:  after shutting down the system you may want to write 
		down the current boot information in case you want 
		to return to the existing system disk in the future.



  =>  modify the console parameters to point to the RAID set as the
	system disk.

	"example"

	- set bootdef_dev   dra0
	- set boot_file     2/boot/vmlinux.gz-2.2.14
	- set boot_osflags  "root=/dev/rd/c0d0p2"

  =>  boot the system and all should function normally.

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	For comments or questions concerning this document
	  you may contact  Thomas.Sharbaugh@compaq.com
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