Arch Linux

stefano

Member

Registered: 2011-04-09

Posts: 269

Reinstalling Arch and keeping existing ZFS pool?

I have (had...) a home server with 4 data drives arranged in a ZFS pool and a 5th, Ext4 drive for Arch. The latter drive failed badly and I need to replace it and reinstall Arch on it.

Question: How can I be sure not to lose the ZFS-hosted data?

It seems that the following may NOT be enough:

1. Reinstall Arch
2. Install the ZFS packages from AUR
3. Import the zfs datapool with

$> zpool import myzfsdatapool 

The discussion on migration on Oracles's ZFS page[1] says a pool should be exported before being imported, but that's not possible in my case, as the system is not presently functional.

Suggestions welcome.

Cheers,

Stefano

[1] https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19253-01/81 … index.html

Zod

Member

From: Hoosiertucky

Registered: 2019-03-10

Posts: 634

Re: Reinstalling Arch and keeping existing ZFS pool?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ZF … orage_pool

See...

On boot the zfs pool does not mount stating: "pool may be in use from other system"
Unexported pool

Also..
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19253-01/81 … index.html

stefano

Member

Registered: 2011-04-09

Posts: 269

Re: Reinstalling Arch and keeping existing ZFS pool?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ZF … orage_pool

See...

On boot the zfs pool does not mount stating: "pool may be in use from other system"
Unexported pool

Also..
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19253-01/81 … index.html

Thanks for the reply, but I can't find helpful information in either link. The Arch page basically repeats what the Oracle migrating page says. Namely,  "Always export before importing". The second link has some Solaris-specific  (I assume) instructions such as the "-m milestone=none boot option" and other similar commands.

Perhaps my question could be rephrased as:

How do I export a zfs pool on an unbootable system?

Zod

Member

From: Hoosiertucky

Registered: 2019-03-10

Posts: 634

Re: Reinstalling Arch and keeping existing ZFS pool?

The answer lies within the archwiki link.

You're not migrating, you are recovering from a disaster.

Presumably, without a suitable backup.

stefano

Member

Registered: 2011-04-09

Posts: 269

Re: Reinstalling Arch and keeping existing ZFS pool?

The answer lies within the archwiki link.

You're not migrating, you are recovering from a disaster.

I wish it did. The info contained therein are not applicable to my case, as I tried to explain.

Presumably, without a suitable backup.

How is this relevant to the question asked?

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,076

Re: Reinstalling Arch and keeping existing ZFS pool?

Zod intended to point you to https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ZF … _system%22 have you seen this? (Follow the links in the text if you feel one paragraph to be insufficient...)

Last edited by V1del (2019-06-13 07:19:58)