Failing Disk

[Jim Canfield]

   Troy Knabe wrote:

 Thanks.  Just to clarify, I can't run the dd while the system is up and running normally?


  

   Nope...but if you want to copy the system while it is live, you can use
   mondo rescue ([1]http://www.mondorescue.org/).  I have had success with
   it.  Be sure to stop any live databases though.

  

 I have a Linux x86_64 4.4 system with 2 disk bays, but only 1 disk in the system currently.  I believe the disk is failing and I have ordered a replacement.  Assuming that I am right, and the disk is failing, how can I dump the system disk from the failing disk to the new one, and still be able to boot off of the new disk?

  
    

 If you are getting another drive that is the same size or larger, you can use DD to duplicate everything bit for bit.

 Assuming old drive is /dev/sda and new is /dev/sdb:

 1) Boot using a rescue CD, either redhat or my favorite - sysrescuecd
 ([2]http://www.sysresccd.org/)

 2) At root prompt verify /dev/sda is actually your old disk using fdisk

 #fdisk /dev/sda....and press "p" to view partition table.

 3) dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb

 4) Wait...it will take a while.

 5) Remove old drive insert new drive.

 Note:  If you have corrupt or unreadable data on the primary drive, dd may fail. At that point you might want to start looking at some of the tools on the rescuecd.

 -Jim

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 Jim Canfield, CISSP
 Tulsa Spine and Specialty Hospital

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