[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: How do I protect drives configured with LVM from fdisk?

[Bryan J. Smith]

On Fri, 2004-12-10 at 15:59, ntlug at rain4us.net wrote:
> I've been working with an LVM2 solution using a bank of eight 250gig SATA
> drives on a 3ware controller.  I'm getting pretty comfortable with using
> LVM as a solution, but I have just ONE concern.  An inexperienced netadmin
> could come in, see available unpartitioned disk space as reported by
> fdisk/cfdisk and proceed to wipe out an LVM volume.
> As a test, I created an LVM volume un an unpartitioned drive... proceded
> to partition it via cfdisk, mkreiserfs the volume, and mount it.  All went
> well..except I lost the test files on my LVM'ed volume.
> How does one protect the disks being used by LVM from the ravages of those
> uninitiated to the glories of LVM?  --or-- am I missing an important step
> in the creation of my PE/VG/LVs?

Hmmm, does setting the BIOS to protect the MBR also protect the legacy
BIOS/Int13h Disk Label (Partition Table) from modification?  I believe
so, but don't quote me.  Does that also protect off-chipset storage? 
That's a good question.

If so, since you are using LVM/LVM2, if all partitions are under the
single type 8Eh (Linux LVM) partition.  So there's never a reason to
modify the BIOS/Int13h Disk Label.

Just an idea, not one I'm entirely sure works, but it can't hurt to try.


-- 
Bryan J. Smith                                 b.j.smith at ieee.org 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
Assumptions of the Fedora Project based on Red Hat Linux is like
assumptions of the Debian Project based on using old Corel Linux.