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Creating and Managing a Software RAID

RAID is used to combine multiple devices into one or more logical units. In this hands-on lab, we are tasked with creating a RAID 5 array, failing active devices and observing the behavior, and adding new devices to the RAID to replace the ones that have failed.

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Path Info

Level
Clock icon Intermediate
Duration
Clock icon 30m
Last updated
Clock icon Aug 24, 2025

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Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Create a RAID 5 Array Based on the Instructions

    Use the mdadm command to create the RAID 5 array.

    mdadm -C /dev/md0 -l raid5 -n 3 /dev/xvdf1 /dev/xvdg1 /dev/xvdj1 -x 3 /dev/xvdf2 /dev/xvdg2 /dev/xvdj2

    Create the mdadm.conf file to ensure the RAID is available on boot.

    mdadm -D -s -v > /etc/mdadm.conf

  2. Challenge

    Create an Ext4 Filesystem, Mount It, and Ensure It Persists Through a Reboot

    Use the mkfs command to create an ext4 filesystem on /dev/md0.

    mkfs -t ext4 /dev/md0

    Create the /mnt/raid mount point.

    mkdir /mnt/raid

    Mount /dev/md0 on /mnt/raid.

    mount -t ext4 /dev/md0 /mnt/raid

    Use the blkid command to obtain the UUID of /dev/md0:

    blkid /dev/md0

    Use a text editor to open /etc/fstab and add the following entry at the bottom of the file (using the UUID observed in the previous step):

    UUID=uuid_of_md0    /mnt/raid    ext4    defaults    0 0

  3. Challenge

    Fail the Active Devices in the Array One at a Time and Remove Them

    Fail the active devices using the -f option (Note: Wait until a spare device has been added to the array before proceeding to the next to prevent RAID failure. The state can be checked by running mdadm -D /dev/md0).

    mdadm -f /dev/md0 /dev/xvdf1
mdadm -f /dev/md0 /dev/xvdg1
mdadm -f /dev/md0 /dev/xvdj1

    Remove failed devices from the array.

    mdadm -r /dev/md0 /dev/xvdf1 /dev/xvdg1 /dev/xvdj1

  4. Challenge

    Add Three New Devices to the Array Based on the Instructions

    Add new devices to /dev/md0.

    mdadm -a /dev/md0 /dev/xvdf3 /dev/xvdg3 /dev/xvdj3

    Update /etc/mdadm.conf with new configuration changes.

    mdadm -D -s -v > /etc/mdadm.conf
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Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

What's a lab?

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Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!

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