Problems creating MS-RAID1: "device .. not suitable for any style of raid array" / "Device or resource busy"

Problems creating MS-RAID1: "device .. not suitable for any style of raid array" / "Device or resource busy"

[Ulrich Windl]

Hello!

I'm having strange trouble with SLES11 SP1 amd MD RAID1 (mdadm - v3.0.3 (mdadm-3.0.3-0.22.4), 2.6.32.36-0.5-xen):

I was able to create one RAID1 array, but not a second one. I have no idea what's wrong, but my guesses are:

1) An error when using "--bitmap internal" for a 30GB disk
2) Unsure whether the disks needs an msdos signature or a RAID partition
3) It seems a failed attempt to create the array keeps one device busy (a reboot(!) resolves that problem for one attempt)

Some output:
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde
mdadm: device /dev/xvdd not suitable for any style of array
(Reboot)
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2  /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde
mdadm: /dev/xvdd appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 12:00:12 2011
Continue creating array? y
mdadm: array /dev/md0 started.

# mdadm --grow --bitmap internal /dev/md0
mdadm: failed to set internal bitmap.
# mdadm --stop /dev/md0
mdadm: stopped /dev/md0
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde
mdadm: /dev/xvdd appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 12:38:20 2011
mdadm: /dev/xvde appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 12:38:20 2011
Continue creating array? y
mdadm: failed to write superblock to /dev/xvdd
mdadm: ADD_NEW_DISK for /dev/xvde failed: Device or resource busy
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde
mdadm: device /dev/xvdd not suitable for any style of array
# xm reboot rksapv01
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde
mdadm: /dev/xvdd appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 13:26:55 2011
mdadm: /dev/xvde appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 12:38:20 2011
Continue creating array? y
mdadm: failed to write superblock to /dev/xvdd
mdadm: ADD_NEW_DISK for /dev/xvde failed: Device or resource busy

# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde   
mdadm: /dev/xvdd appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 13:37:28 2011
mdadm: /dev/xvde appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 12:38:20 2011
Continue creating array? y
mdadm: failed to write superblock to /dev/xvdd
mdadm: ADD_NEW_DISK for /dev/xvde failed: Device or resource busy
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde
mdadm: device /dev/xvdd not suitable for any style of array

(At this point I filed a service request for SLES with no result until now)

Trying some other disks (of varying size):
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde   
mdadm: /dev/xvdd appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 13:37:28 2011
mdadm: /dev/xvde appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 12:38:20 2011
Continue creating array? y
mdadm: failed to write superblock to /dev/xvdd
mdadm: ADD_NEW_DISK for /dev/xvde failed: Device or resource busy
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md0 /dev/xvdd /dev/xvde
mdadm: device /dev/xvdd not suitable for any style of array

(another Reboot)
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md1 /dev/xvdf /dev/xvdg
mdadm: /dev/xvdf appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 16:36:59 2011
Continue creating array? y
mdadm: failed to write superblock to /dev/xvdf
mdadm: ADD_NEW_DISK for /dev/xvdg failed: Device or resource busy
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md2 /dev/xvdh /dev/xvdi
mdadm: /dev/xvdh appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 16:37:26 2011
Continue creating array? y
mdadm: failed to write superblock to /dev/xvdh
mdadm: ADD_NEW_DISK for /dev/xvdi failed: Device or resource busy
# mdadm -C -l1 -n2 --bitmap internal /dev/md3 /dev/xvdj /dev/xvdk
mdadm: /dev/xvdj appears to be part of a raid array:
    level=raid1 devices=2 ctime=Wed May  4 16:37:38 2011
Continue creating array? y
mdadm: failed to write superblock to /dev/xvdj
mdadm: ADD_NEW_DISK for /dev/xvdk failed: Device or resource busy

Corresponding Syslog messages:
May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942241] md: bind<xvdf>
May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942265] md: could not bd_claim xvdg.
May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942269] md: md_import_device returned
-16
May  4 17:19:13 rksapv01 kernel: [  250.118561] md: bind<xvdh>
May  4 17:19:13 rksapv01 kernel: [  250.118586] md: could not bd_claim xvdi.
May  4 17:19:13 rksapv01 kernel: [  250.118590] md: md_import_device returned
-16
May  4 17:19:27 rksapv01 kernel: [  264.505337] md: bind<xvdj>
May  4 17:19:27 rksapv01 kernel: [  264.505365] md: could not bd_claim xvdk.
May  4 17:19:27 rksapv01 kernel: [  264.505368] md: md_import_device returned
-16

Do you understand that I'm quite frustrated? Maybe I should mention that the disks are from a FC-SAN with a 4-way multipath (multipath-tools-0.4.8-40.25.1). Also "lsof" finds no process that has the device open.

Finally: I had a similar problem with SLES10 SP3 which made me quit using MD-RAID about two years ago...

Regards,
Ulrich
P.S: I'm not subscribed to the list, so please CC: -- Thank you

Re: Problems creating MS-RAID1: "device .. not suitable for any style of raid array" / "Device or resource busy"

[Phil Turmel]

Hi Ulrich,

On 05/06/2011 08:15 AM, Ulrich Windl wrote:
> Hello!
> 
> I'm having strange trouble with SLES11 SP1 amd MD RAID1 (mdadm - v3.0.3 (mdadm-3.0.3-0.22.4), 2.6.32.36-0.5-xen):

I'm not a Xen user, nor SLES, but I thought I'd poke around for this.

[trim /]

> Corresponding Syslog messages:
> May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942241] md: bind<xvdf>
> May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942265] md: could not bd_claim xvdg.
> May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942269] md: md_import_device returned
> -16

This seems to be the key.  I found this thread from XenSource:

http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2010-08/msg00063.html

which suggests your guest kernel's configuration doesn't include MD support.

In your guest, please show the output of:

# zcat /proc/config.gz |grep _MD[=_]


Phil

Re: Problems creating MS-RAID1: "device .. not suitable for any style of raid array" / "Device or resource busy"

[Phil Turmel]

Hmm.  Glossed right over a key bit:

On 05/06/2011 08:15 AM, Ulrich Windl wrote:
> I was able to create one RAID1 array, but not a second one. I have no idea what's wrong, but my guesses are:
> 

But the commands and responses for /dev/md0 below that suggest that the one array you seem to have created isn't actually working, even though is says "Started".

Can you also show the contents of /proc/mdstat (if it exists...  if my first suggestion is correct, it won't be there).

Phil

RE: Problems creating MS-RAID1: "device .. not suitable for any style of raid array" / "Device or resource busy"

[Leslie Rhorer]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-raid-owner@vger.kernel.org [mailto:linux-raid-
> owner@vger.kernel.org] On Behalf Of Ulrich Windl
> Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 7:16 AM
> To: linux-raid@vger.kernel.org
> Subject: Problems creating MS-RAID1: "device .. not suitable for any style
> of raid array" / "Device or resource busy"
> 
> Hello!
> 
> I'm having strange trouble with SLES11 SP1 amd MD RAID1 (mdadm - v3.0.3
> (mdadm-3.0.3-0.22.4), 2.6.32.36-0.5-xen):
> 
> I was able to create one RAID1 array, but not a second one. I have no idea
> what's wrong, but my guesses are:
> 
> 1) An error when using "--bitmap internal" for a 30GB disk
> 2) Unsure whether the disks needs an msdos signature or a RAID partition

	It doesn't necessarily require either one.  They don't have to be
partitioned at all, and indeed there is no fundamental reason to partition
the drives if the entire disk is to be used for the array.  If you do need
to partition the disk, I don't think it matters what the partition type is.

Antw: Re: Problems creating MD-RAID1: "device .. not suitable for any style of raid array" / "Device or resource busy"

[Ulrich Windl]

>>> Phil Turmel <philip@turmel.org> schrieb am 06.05.2011 um 16:40 in Nachricht
<4DC40866.30601@turmel.org>:
> Hi Ulrich,
> 
> On 05/06/2011 08:15 AM, Ulrich Windl wrote:
> > Hello!
> > 
> > I'm having strange trouble with SLES11 SP1 amd MD RAID1 (mdadm - v3.0.3 
> (mdadm-3.0.3-0.22.4), 2.6.32.36-0.5-xen):
> 
> I'm not a Xen user, nor SLES, but I thought I'd poke around for this.
> 
> [trim /]
> 
> > Corresponding Syslog messages:
> > May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942241] md: bind<xvdf>
> > May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942265] md: could not bd_claim 
> xvdg.
> > May  4 17:18:54 rksapv01 kernel: [  231.942269] md: md_import_device 
> returned
> > -16
> 
> This seems to be the key.  I found this thread from XenSource:
> 
> http://lists.xensource.com/archives/html/xen-users/2010-08/msg00063.html 
> 
> which suggests your guest kernel's configuration doesn't include MD support.
> 
> In your guest, please show the output of:
> 
> # zcat /proc/config.gz |grep _MD[=_]
> 
> 
> Phil
> 

Hi Phil,

I thought about it: If I suceeded to create one MD-RAID, the required modules should be there, right? Also the kernel message suggests that the kernel could not access the device (because it's used already?). Anyway:
# zcat /proc/config.gz |grep _MD[=_]
CONFIG_MD=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_MD=y
CONFIG_MD_AUTODETECT=y
CONFIG_MD_LINEAR=m
CONFIG_MD_RAID0=m
CONFIG_MD_RAID1=m
CONFIG_MD_RAID10=m
CONFIG_MD_RAID456=m
CONFIG_MD_RAID6_PQ=m
CONFIG_MD_MULTIPATH=m
CONFIG_MD_FAULTY=m

Regards,
Ulrich