FlexRAID

	WARNING
	This is recommended only for advanced users, proceed with caution.

What is FlexRAID?

FlexRAID is a highly scalable and smart storage system that turns independent hard drives of various sizes, makes, and models into storage pools and storage pools into storage clouds.

Additionally, FlexRAID provides both snapshot and real-time parity data protection with support for RAID4, RAID6, and RAIDX where X is any number of tolerances desired. Parity data protection can be configured at the storage pool level and/or at the storage cloud level.

Furthermore, FlexRAID is not limited to hard disks as it can pool data from all accessible sources including removable media, external storage, network shares, LUNs, disk arrays, etc.

NOTE: Ensure you turn off Greyhole and disable it permanently as shown in Greyhole Disable Section. THey will not work together and could produce disastrous results.

CLI Client:

Link
​http://download.openegg.org/release/FlexRAID/Basic/1.0/FlexRAID_Basic_CMD_Client_1.0_final.bin​

Forums:

Link
​http://www.openegg.org/forums/forums/list.page​

Tutorials:

Link
​http://www.openegg.org/forums/posts/list/173.page http://www.openegg.org/forums/posts/list/167.page​

Installation

• Create a web app called flexraid
• As root user, do the following:

bash code
​cd /var/hda/web-apps/flexraid wget http://download.openegg.org/release/FlexRAID/Basic/1.4/b7/FlexRAID_Basic_Host_1.4_beta7.bin wget http://download.openegg.org/release/FlexRAID/Basic/1.4/b7/FlexRAIDWebUI_1.4.tar.gz tar -xzpf FlexRAIDWebUI_1.4.tar.gz -d html chmod +x ./FlexRAID_Basic_Host_1.4_beta7.bin ./FlexRAID_Basic_Host_1.4_beta7.bin​

• Accept the EULA and when prompted for location, enter /home/<USERNAME>/openegg.
• Edit the web app .conf file:

bash code
​vi /etc/httpd/conf.d/###-flexraid.conf​

• Add the following line after ServerAlias line:

bash code
​RedirectPermanent / http://localhost:8080​

• Restart web server:

bash code
​service httpd restart​

• Start FlexRAID and WebUI:

bash code
​/home/user/FLEXRAID & /var/hda/web-apps/flexraid/html/start.sh​

• Open web browser and navigate to:

Link
​http://localhost:8080.​

• Log in using admin/admin as user name and password.

Create Init Script (Not Working)

• To enable FlexRAID to start on boot, create the file named flexraid and insert the following text:

#! /bin/sh
   
# by wyld
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          FlexRAID application instance
# Required-Start:    $all
# Required-Stop:     $all
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
# Short-Description: starts FlexRAID app
# Description:       starts instance of FlexRAID app using start-stop-daemon
### END INIT INFO
   
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/opt/flexraid:/opt/flexraid/webui
   
############### EDIT ME ##################
   
# daemon 
DAEMON=/home/amahi/openegg/FlexRAID
DAEDIR=/home/amahi/openegg/
wDAEDIR=/var/hda/web-apps/flexraid/html
NAME="flexraid"
DESC="FlexRAID backend and webui"
USER="root"
   
LOGDIR=/var/log
RUNDIR=/var/run
ARGS=""
   
############### END EDIT ME ##################
 
test -x $DAEMON || exit 0
   
set -e
   
case "$1" in
  start)
        echo "Starting $DESC: "
        start-stop-daemon --start --oknodo --background --chdir $DAEDIR --exec $DAEMON
        start-stop-daemon --start --oknodo --chdir $wDAEDIR --name $NAME.web --startas /bin/sh $wDAEDIR/start.sh
        echo "[ $NAME ]"
        ;;
  stop)
        echo "Stopping $DESC: "
        start-stop-daemon --stop --oknodo --exec $DAEMON
        start-stop-daemon --start --oknodo --chdir $wDAEDIR --name $NAME.web --startas /bin/sh $wDAEDIR/stop.sh
        echo "[ $NAME ]"
        ;;
   
  restart)
        echo "Restarting $DESC: "
        start-stop-daemon --stop --oknodo --exec $DAEMON
        start-stop-daemon --start --oknodo --chdir $wDAEDIR --name $NAME.web --startas /bin/sh $wDAEDIR/stop.sh
        sleep 1
        start-stop-daemon --start --oknodo --background --chdir $DAEDIR --exec $DAEMON
        start-stop-daemon --start --oknodo --chdir $wDAEDIR --name $NAME.web --startas /bin/sh $wDAEDIR/start.sh
        echo "[ $NAME ]"
        ;;
  *)
        N=/etc/init.d/$NAME
        echo "Usage: $N {start|stop|restart}" >&2
        exit 1
        ;;
esac
   
exit 0

• To enable the script to run on boot, do the following:

bash code
​install -m 755 flexraid /etc/init.d/ /sbin/chkconfig flexraid on /sbin/service flexraid start​

• To start/stop the service:

bash code
​service flexraid start service flexraid stop​

• To check service status:

bash code
​service flexraid status​

Post Install Questions

• Does Greyhole need to be disabled?
• Does this work with LVM disks?