I have configured my new RZ26L using ADVFS as I
wanted to do so.
Special thanks to immediate detailed inputs from the
following folks:
> Dr. Tom Blinn[SMTP:tpb_at_zk3.dec.com]
Stephen LaBelle (labelles_at_mscd.edu)
Donald Rye (rye_at_jtasc.acom.mil)
Huehls,Mark R.(huehlsm_at_indy.nav)
Dr Tom's replies
If you do a
disklabel -r rz2
you will see what the disk currently has for a disk label. There would
be no label on a newly manufactured disk -- the initial formatting and
testing would write random data where the label normally is recorded.
The reason you got the warning message you report is that the disk you
have installed has an existing label that says that the "c" partition
is in use for an AdvFS file domain. If you know that the disk really
does not have any useful data, then you can either re-write the disk
label to the default (by this sequence:
disklabel -z rz2
disklabel -w -r -tadvfs rz2 rz26l
which will also write AdvFS boot blocks, just in case you ever wind up
installing onto the disk), then when you try to mkfdmn there won't be a
label saying the partition is in use, or you can just answer "y" to the
question and it will re-initialize the "c" partition to be an empty
file domain.
It looks to me like you put a label on the disk that says that
partition "c" is already in use by AdvFS. So, when you told AdvFS
to initialize the disk to use partition "c" for a file domain, it
looked at the label, saw that it said the partition was already in
use (because you made it look that way), and warned you that if it
really had a file domain, you would destroy it if you proceeded.
We've had people destroy valid file domains (or UFS file systems)
by running mkfdmn (or newfs) on a disk that already had valid data
on it. So those utilities are cautious now, and warn you.
In this case, it would be safe to say "go ahead" since you know you put
the label there on a new disk. Normally, on a new disk, the label woul
define the sizes and locations of the partitions, but would not say any
are in use.
Huehls reply
You don't say if this is the first domain or the only domain you are
trying to create.
Try the command 'disklabel -r rz2'. Hopefully /sbin and /usr/sbin are in
your current environment path. This will show you the disk partitions
and their boundry cylinders. look for possible use of overlaping
cylnders. The default partitions have overlaping partitions, by intent,
so you can only use nonoverlaping subsets. Choose carefully or you will
have unused space on your disk. If you have the AdvFS_Utilities and the
license to use them then the job can be easier than disklabel, but
disklabel works just fine. It can even be used to custom partition the
disk.
Steve's replies
(Case #1) It would appear that your new disk has a disklabel already
written.
(Case #2) Are you possibly looking at the wrong disk?
Here is what I would do the use the new disk, assuming Case #1:
disklabel -z rz2
disklabel -rw rz2 RZ26L
mkfdmn /dev/rz2c domain2
Following explains the commands I gave you and what they do.
1) This command wipes out the disklabel on the disk in this case rz2
disklabel -z rz2
2) This command writes a default disklabel on the disk rz2 with the
proper geometry for an RZ26L. Since the c-partition is the entire
disk you had no real reason to customize the disklabel.
disklabel -rw rz2 RZ26L
3) Makes the ADVFS domain on the c-partition which is what you want.
mkfdmn /dev/rz2c domain2
Don's reply
Your "new" disk has been used previously on a system with advfs. Since
the domain that this drive was used in was not removed properly, the old
disklabel data remains.
As long as you are sure that this drive (/dev/rz2) is your new drive
and
not a current drive this proceedure will work fine. It will destroy any
data on the target drive.
My initial post
>I have installed RZ26L (/dev/rrz2c) on a ALpha Server 400 system
and am trying to create a file >domain using the mkfdmn command.
I get a message saying I could possbibly overwrite >existing
data
>mkfdmn /dev/rz2c domain2
>/dev/rrz2c is marked in use for AdvFS in the disklabel.
>f you continue with the operation you can
>possibly destroy existing data.
>CONTINUE? [y/n] n
>mkfdmn: can't create new domain 'domain2
>I figured since this is a new disk (no data) and initial ADFS
configuration I have nothing to worry >regarding data on
(dev/rrz2c) disk. Is my resasoning right and can I just say Y
and continue .Or >will rest of the data on the system be
affected? I am in the process of understanding ADFS...and >would
appreciate any help in this regard
Received on Fri Oct 03 1997 - 23:30:12 NZST