Howto clone/migrate a volume in the SAN

[santisaez]

Dear Srs,

I have a Linux server (linux01) booting from SAN with a volume in a Nexsan SATAbeast storage array (san01). The disk/volume has four ext3 partitions, total size is near to 400GB, but only 20-30GB are in use.

I need to move this disk/volume to another Nexsan SATAbeast storage array (san02). SATABeast GUI is very simple.. and I haven't any option to migrate, clone, move, etc.. so I need to make this with other tools ;-(

What is the recommended method to make this? I have make this operations early with UNIX tools like rsync, dd, cpio, tar, etc..

I'm planning to use a second Linux server, linux02, and give access to old volume in san01 and the new volume in san02, and clone hard disk in this server. After cloning the drive, re-configure boot from SAN to boot from the new storage array, san02.

I'm looking for a more simple tool to make this type of operations, perhaps a front-end such as G4L, Partimage, Mondo-Mindi, etc..

dd can be a good and simple method, but whats happens when source and destination disk has different size?

Thanks for all the comments and advices!! Regards ;-)

 

[santisaez]

Dear Srs,

More info about the scenario: Systems are running CentOS 4.6 (32 bits) on DELL PowerEdge 1955 servers, with Emulex LightPulse fiber channel HBAs.. connected through Brocade SilkWorm 4016 switches.

Any ideas? Thanks!!

Regards,

 

[buki]

Dear Srs,

I have a Linux server (linux01) booting from SAN with a volume in a Nexsan SATAbeast storage array (san01). The disk/volume has four ext3 partitions, total size is near to 400GB, but only 20-30GB are in use.

I need to move this disk/volume to another Nexsan SATAbeast storage array (san02). SATABeast GUI is very simple.. and I haven't any option to migrate, clone, move, etc.. so I need to make this with other tools ;-(

What is the recommended method to make this? I have make this operations early with UNIX tools like rsync, dd, cpio, tar, etc..

I'm planning to use a second Linux server, linux02, and give access to old volume in san01 and the new volume in san02, and clone hard disk in this server. After cloning the drive, re-configure boot from SAN to boot from the new storage array, san02.

I'm looking for a more simple tool to make this type of operations, perhaps a front-end such as G4L, Partimage, Mondo-Mindi, etc..

dd can be a good and simple method, but whats happens when source and destination disk has different size?

Thanks for all the comments and advices!! Regards ;-)

I would attach the new disk to the server, partition it then use dump/restore to move the data. Dump/restore works with different sizes on the new disk. Don't forget to install boot code on the new disk. Also, it would be a good idea to dump a snapshot (if the OS supports it) or at least stop all applications that could write to the disk.
You can then try to boot from the new array and if it doesn't work, you still have the original data.

 

[santisaez]

Dear buki,

Thanks for your advices ;-)

I will try to using dump/restore utils.

But there's no software to make all this process?

I'm using CentOS and ext3.. any idea of how to make a partition snapshot?

Regards,

 

[santisaez]

What about sfdisk + pcopy method?

http://newbiedoc.berlios.de/wiki/Cloning_a_hard_disc

Regards,