Configure local storage

Context: RHCE certification

Configure local storage

In the context of the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certification, configuring local storage is an important skill. Local storage refers to the direct-attached storage devices available on a server. Here are some key steps to configure local storage:

1. Identify Local Storage Devices:

   • Identify the local storage devices available on the server, such as hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs).
   • Use tools like lsblk or fdisk -l to list the available storage devices and their partitions.

2. Partitioning and Formatting:

   • Partition the storage device using a partitioning tool like fdisk or parted.
   • Create partitions as needed, and specify the partition type (e.g., Linux filesystem) and size.
   • After partitioning, format the partitions with a suitable filesystem using tools like mkfs.ext4 or mkfs.xfs.

3. Mounting Filesystems:

   • Create a mount point directory where the filesystem will be mounted. For example, mkdir /mnt/mydisk.
   • Edit the /etc/fstab file to add an entry for the newly created partition.
   • Specify the partition's UUID or device path, the mount point directory, filesystem type, and mount options.
   • Save the changes to /etc/fstab and use the mount -a command to mount all filesystems specified in the file.

4. Managing Logical Volumes (LVM) (Optional):

   • If you want to use logical volumes for more flexible storage management, you can set up LVM.
   • Create physical volumes (PVs) using the pvcreate command on the storage devices.
   • Create a volume group (VG) using the vgcreate command, specifying the PVs to include in the group.
   • Create logical volumes (LVs) within the volume group using the lvcreate command, specifying the size and name of the LVs.
   • Format the LVs with a suitable filesystem using tools like mkfs.ext4 or mkfs.xfs.
   • Create mount points, add entries to /etc/fstab, and mount the logical volumes as described in Step 3.

5. Verifying and Managing Storage:

   • Use commands like lsblk, df, or pvs, vgs, lvs to verify the created partitions or logical volumes and their mount status.
   • Monitor disk space usage with tools like du or ncdu to ensure efficient utilization.
   • Perform regular maintenance tasks like filesystem checks (fsck) or resizing partitions or logical volumes as needed.

Remember to consult the relevant documentation and resources specific to your Linux distribution to understand any distribution-specific tools, conventions, or best practices for configuring local storage. Additionally, practicing hands-on with various storage configuration scenarios will help you solidify your skills for the RHCE certification.