clonezilla options

[Tom Del Rosso]

I'm using clonezilla in dd mode to clone some workstations with RAID 1
arrays. I made a separate dd image of each drive. After writing them to
one pair of target drives, they work and a RAID integrity test found no
error.

I wanted to get confirmation of some of my choices.

First, it might be better to image one drive and let the RAID controller
rebuild the other, although it takes longer, and the dd image looks 100%
good.

When restoring an image, what's the difference between the first option,
"use partition table from image", and the last option, "use dd to create
partition?"

What's the meaning of the option, "-e2 sfdisk uses CHS from EDD?" It's
selected by default, and sounds like it should be used (where else could it
get CHS data?), so I left it enabled.

I cleared all other options (resize partition, etc) but left the 2 obviously
desired ones enabled: "-c client waits for confirmation" and "-j2 clone
hidden data."

Thanks.

 

[Rod Speed]

I'm using clonezilla in dd mode to clone some workstations with RAID 1 arrays. I made a separate dd image of each
drive. After writing them to one pair of target drives, they work and a RAID integrity test found no error.

I wanted to get confirmation of some of my choices.

First, it might be better to image one drive and let the RAID
controller rebuild the other, although it takes longer, and the dd image looks 100% good.

When restoring an image, what's the difference between the first
option, "use partition table from image", and the last option, "use
dd to create partition?"

Presumably clonezilla doesnt always create the same partition table
as was originally used.

What's the meaning of the option, "-e2 sfdisk uses CHS from EDD?" It's selected by default, and sounds like it should
be used (where
else could it get CHS data?), so I left it enabled.

Presumably it uses what is appropriate for itself when dd creates the partition.

 

[Arno]

I'm using clonezilla in dd mode to clone some workstations with RAID 1
arrays. I made a separate dd image of each drive. After writing them to
one pair of target drives, they work and a RAID integrity test found no
error.

That is not a good approach, unless you wipe the original drives.
The problem is that if anybody ever adds one of the originals
to the new machine, you could get severe corruption due to the
same GUIDs being in original and clone RAID metadata.

The right approcah is to create a new RAID1 on the target and only
image the contens of the RAID array, i.e. image /dev/md<x>.
Also note that you need to recreate things like ssh keys,
and random seeds in order for the copy tio be secure, unless
you destroy the originals or never use them again.

I wanted to get confirmation of some of my choices.

First, it might be better to image one drive and let the RAID controller
rebuild the other, although it takes longer, and the dd image looks 100%
good.

Still not a good idea.

Arno

When restoring an image, what's the difference between the first option,
"use partition table from image", and the last option, "use dd to create
partition?"

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

That is not a good approach, unless you wipe the original drives.
The problem is that if anybody ever adds one of the originals
to the new machine, you could get severe corruption due to the
same GUIDs being in original and clone RAID metadata.

Do you mean, if somebody adds it as a third drive?

The right approcah is to create a new RAID1 on the target and only
image the contens of the RAID array, i.e. image /dev/md<x>.

It sounds like you're refering to a unix device, and this is Windows.

Only image the contents? Do you mean image the partition only? I thought
the partition table and RAID data would have to be included.

Also note that you need to recreate things like ssh keys,
and random seeds in order for the copy tio be secure, unless
you destroy the originals or never use them again.

In what scenario is it insecure?

Can sysprep take care of that?

 

[Arno]

Do you mean, if somebody adds it as a third drive?

Or swaps out one of the existing drives.

It sounds like you're refering to a unix device, and this is Windows.

Does not matter as long as the metadata is on disk.

Only image the contents? Do you mean image the partition only? I thought
the partition table and RAID data would have to be included.

You should create a new parttition table and a new RAID on
the target system in order to have different GUIDs in there.

In what scenario is it insecure?

If an attacker gets access to one of the machines, he
can potentially pretend to be the other.

Can sysprep take care of that?

No idea.

Arno

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

You should create a new parttition table and a new RAID on
the target system in order to have different GUIDs in there.

But is there a way to clone the partition after that? Not as far as I can
see. I would have to do it over from start to finish.

The problem is that clonezilla doesn't recognize the RAID controller, and
neither does any other drive image program I tried. Some of them might work
with an F6 disk, but no F6 disk is available for the controller. Windows
install requires a special boot CD that installs Windows with the driver.

Maybe there's a way to make an F6 disk by copying drivers from the install,
and maybe a Vista boot CD could use it, but I don't know how to make an F6
disk from scratch.

 

[Arno]

But is there a way to clone the partition after that? Not as far as I can
see. I would have to do it over from start to finish.

No. What you would have to do is a filesystem clone instead of a
device clone. Typical way is to do a normal backup and restore on the
other system. Since backup is non-optional, you should have
procedure and tools in place anyways.

The problem is that clonezilla doesn't recognize the RAID controller, and
neither does any other drive image program I tried. Some of them might work
with an F6 disk, but no F6 disk is available for the controller. Windows
install requires a special boot CD that installs Windows with the driver.

Ah, sorry. That is indeed a problem.

Maybe there's a way to make an F6 disk by copying drivers from the install,
and maybe a Vista boot CD could use it, but I don't know how to make an F6
disk from scratch.

Well, this is one way I do not use hardware-RAID anymore.
That and the fact that you have to keep a spare controller
handy in case the one in use breaks.

Arno