Install with /var in separate partition - Zfs / 10

UNIX Solaris
1

This is my first time working with ZFS on Solaris 10. I am trying to set up /var in a separate partition from /.

During the installation, I came across the ZFS settings where I selected disks 0 and 1 to be mirrored with ZFS. Next was the option to have /var and / on separate datasets.

Is selecting this option like setting them up with different partitons? I am not quite up to speed with ZFS ... any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

2

Yes it is like setting up with partitions.
But then zfs uses pooled storage

So if you wan't to use zfs /var on a different filesystem you could use the following.

 
       # zfs create pool/var
       # zfs set mountpoint=/var
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3

Within the default pool "rpool" I do have /var as a "filesystem".

rpool                          7.86G   126G    97K  /rpool
rpool/ROOT                     4.36G   126G    21K  legacy
rpool/ROOT/s10s_u8wos_08a      4.36G   126G  4.29G  /
rpool/ROOT/s10s_u8wos_08a/var  68.8M   126G  68.8M  /var
rpool/dump                     1.50G   126G  1.50G  -
rpool/export                     44K   126G    23K  /export
rpool/export/home                21K   126G    21K  /export/home
rpool/swap                        2G   128G    16K  -

If I were to create another pool for /var and set its mountpoint as /var also, would that cause any problems or lost data?

For the most part, I don't see what the problem with the current setup so most likely I will not be changing this.

4

You already have /var as a separate file system so that would make no sense. I suppose jld suggestion what just an (probably non functional) example showing how to create a new file system for a given directory. It wasn't at all something that directly apply to a critical system directory like /var.

No immediate loss of data as the old dataset would still keep its content but, assuming it succeeded, it would have crashed and rendered your system unusable as it substitutes /var by an empty directory. Even if properly done, it would have make your system not upgradeable as live upgrade expects /var to be part of a boot environment (like yours it is currently Solaris 10 update 8).

That's a wise decision. There is actually no problem with your current setup.

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