Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 243532
mpath volumes in /etc/fstab should use names instead of labels
Last modified: 2007-11-30 17:07:44 EST
Description of problem: Anaconda configures multipath volumes in /etc/fstab to use mount-by-label. This can cause boot problems when individual paths are visible in /dev. The same problem can happen with LVM & MD devices if labels are used - anaconda uses the real device name in these cases as the naming is persistent. Need to do the same thing for multipath. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): anaconda-11.1.2.36 How reproducible: 100% Steps to Reproduce: 1. Install a multipath system using "linux mpath" 2. Create some file systems directly on mpath partitions 3. Reboot & check /etc/fstab Actual results: Boot fails at file system check due to duplicate labels. The installed /etc/fstab contains, for e.g.: LABEL=/boot /boot ext3 defaults 1 2 Expected results: System boots correctly. The installed /etc/fstab contains, for e.g.: /dev/mpath/mpath0p1 /boot ext3 defaults 1 2
Not using label might be a solution. But there is another solution: modifying e2fsprogs and others to understand the stacked device. A patch for e2fsprogs is provided in this BZ (comment#19): https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=156324
I think this is probably a better way of doing it, but it's mount that needs to understand the stacked devices - in RHEL5 it's provided by util-linux. Seems this would increase the number of packages that need to be touched for this feature when we're already on a fairly tight schedule.
Anaconda now writes /dev/mpath* names to /etc/fstab even if there is a filesystem label. Moving state to modified.
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux maintenance release. Product Management has requested further review of this request by Red Hat Engineering, for potential inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux Update release for currently deployed products. This request is not yet committed for inclusion in an Update release.
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem described in this bug report. This report is therefore being closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information on the solution and/or where to find the updated files, please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report if the solution does not work for you. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2007-0644.html