Managing RAID on Linux

raidtools

raidtools provides a small, simple command set that allows administrators to create, activate, and stop software arrays. Each array managed by the system is defined in a global configuration file (/etc/raidtab) that describes which physical disks are members of each array. /etc/raidtab also contains metadata about every array, such as its RAID level and failover capabilities. The commands included with the raidtools package use the information in /etc/raidtab to interface with arrays.

There are two notable versions of raidtools. Version 0.90 is the most recent implementation, and the only one being maintained. It should be used only in conjunction with the 0.90 driver. An older version (0.42) of raidtools is also still available. This version should only be used when working with older systems that still use the 0.36 software RAID driver. Never use raidtools with the wrong driver!

Also included with raidtools are sample configuration files and documentation (manual pages and cookbooks). Unfortunately, much of the documentation is seriously outdated, sometimes by a factor of years. Adhering to the open source philosophy that “old documentation is better than no documentation,” a lot of outdated information is included with the raidtools package. It’s probably best to double-check a Linux Documentation Project mirror for the most recent information and consult additional reference material and mailing lists in lieu of relying on the documentation in the package.

As of this ...