Disk Management feature request

Hello,

After adding a new disk, playing with LVM, I was thinking that it could be a really cool feature if Nethserver have a DiskManagment module.

I don’t know if it’s complicate to do or not to do :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
but Webmin have such feature with “Partition on Local Disk” and “Logical Volume Management” like you can see here:
http://www.webmin.com/standard.html

I want such feature in Nethserver.

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This module is not so must have , because it is not so hard to make 3 comands like :
pvcreate, vgextend, lvresize from console :slight_smile: Sorry it is my piece of mind :slight_smile:

I’m understand your point of view but let me submit two littles things:

  1. Nethserver is a bunch of software and a layer to make CentOS easier.
  2. Make theses shell commands from IOS or Android system is not so easy like make them from a real computer.

One more reason to do this module: Because “Yes, we can”. :smiling_imp:

great amount of code, it would better to improve MAIL DNS DHCP and Web UI wizards :slight_smile:

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@Jim, once upon a time, we had a policy that said “do not add web interfaces for features that could break the system”. We’re relaxing it, as time goes by, but I still think that a disk/partition manager in the wrong hands could not only break the sytem but lead to data loss.
Implementing such a feature could mean writing code only to try to stop the user doing dangerous things.
At the same time, forcing the user to read an howto, access the shell and type two commands seems like a good enough barrier against threats.
Having said this, why not use gparted or something similar?

3 Likes

I agree 200% with @filippo_carletti
we (all) must remember that NS will be used by unexperienced users too… and we (all) can’t afford anything that could lead to data loss…

all IMVHO

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Really sad to read this …
It’s like like to said "why not not use Clearos or Koozali SME or CentOS with Webmin or some thing similar?

The target users for Nethserver are sysadmins, even unexperiennted, but sysadmin not dude.

it doesn’t make sense to me… do you really think that people will choose a SERVER distro based on things like this?..

well… you’re wrong… as I said, we should always think that NS can be used by everybody…
I’ve seen here and in other places (Koozali SME server forums, Centos forums) people using server distro without the minimal knowledge… people that ignore the meaning of netmask, dhcp and so on…
I’ve seen people destroying their server via “yum remove”…
and the worst part is that they are using servers in REAL and PRODUCTION environment (i.e. real users, real emails, files and so on)

so, I repeat… a WEB GUI should NEVER expose data loss prone features, NEVER…
so, no:

  • disk management/partitioning tools
  • LVM tools
  • RAID tools to add/remove disks or change RAID layout

linux is nowadays really user friendly, as long as you know what are you doing… when you fail, linux is a UNIX O.S… we should always remember that.

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Ehi @Jim Jim thanks for your proposal, one of our goals ith NethServer is keep things simple as much as possibile.
Build something like you have described and keep everything simple is really hard and @filippo_carletti has tried to explain it, I don’t think that people will choose other distro just for a Disk management feature but I’m sure people will choose NethServer because it’s simple and “by web interface you can’t break the system” :slight_smile:
Keep things balanced is tricky, hope you understand this reasoning.

Hi,

I understand that the proposal don’t make enthusiam here, it`s ok.

I don’t understand the reason… Let me try to explain why.
Is not because all car manufacturers put airbag system that everyone will crash the car in the wall !!!
It`s not because your can can go at 200 km/h that you go at this velocity…

Nethserver is modular, there`s the system base, and optionals modules.
Nobody have to install all modules, but only necessary module.

I just made this proposal because I had see it in Webmin.

i’ll also would like to mention OpenMediaVault who is more a NAS appliance but offer a Disk/Partition Manager and probably target d**b admin like me and Jim :wink:

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I think we’re drafting the new disk management feature. :smile:
Step 1: look at what’s already available.

I recall the password management panel which I thought would be “risky” and now is in by default.

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My question is: how many times you (generally speaking) find yourself in the need to edit/change/add disk partitions etc on the SAME server during its lifetime?
once a week? a month? a year? never?

is such a feature really worth?

usually my servers are “configure and forget” ones (and obviously keep them uptodate)…
all of them, but virtual ones, are in raid1 or raid5… if an hd dies, I don’t need any GUI

moreover, if you use NS with enterprise class servers/hw, you won’t have access to disks because likely you’re using hw raid…

in the end, why “we” really need such a tool? 'cause sometimes I see people asking for features just to have some “toys” to play with.

Perhaps two or three times, including the setup phase, during the lifetime.

Is such feature really worth?.. I still think yes, it’s worth.
Because when installing Centos Minimal or Nethserver, there’s the graphical interface.
So adding a disk, changing a partition size or whatever manipulation, why continuing to do in CLI ?

Such tool is not only a toy… Or Graphical Installation Interface are toys too :smile:

I would just like to chime-in. Note that I, too, am a sysadmin by right and have not much experience in Linux (I can understand some, but mostly through searches and forums, am I able to overcome some difficulties). That said, I also need to add that these are the very reason I am looking for UTM or GUI multi-in-one server.

While we all agree that the feature requested seems to have a point, there is also another, more distrubing consequence should an inexperienced user tried to access and misuse it. If, for some reason, the user knows that he needs LVM, I think he is of more advanced nature, and thus, not having to be afraid of working with CLI.

Should this come into fruitition, I think there should be a warning at the top of the admin GUI Disk Management page (perhaps with a background of red). Also, a warning before proceeding with the task. Just my 2 cents here. It addresses the feature being accessible via GUI and also addresses the danger of using the module by means of very visible warning.

And for now we talked about creating partition, resizing partition, etc, etc…

In addition with this disk manager, we could consider mounting and unmounting partition:
-To manage a usb disk for backup…
-To manage a network drive…

Can we gather some examples from other product?

It might be a good approach

Look at this:
http://doxfer.webmin.com/Webmin/Logical_Volume_Management
http://doxfer.webmin.com/Webmin/Partitions_on_Local_Disks
http://doxfer.webmin.com/Webmin/Disk_and_Network_Filesystems

And Google have lot of pictures…

Yes, I want to.

And a Disk Management module is in this objetive :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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I continue my self-speaking thread :imp:
with a self-citation of another thead:

With such Disk Management module. to add a new disk, to create and manage partitions, to manage mounting points for local and remote files systems…
With the existing file sharing, Nethserver could easely become a NAS.

And this could open lot of oportunities, Nethserver, as NAS, could become a backup system, with PLEX Nethserver could distribute contents…