This page explains how to configure custom storage layouts for MAAS-deployed machines. Note that custom storage is only available for MAAS versions 3.1 and higher.
MAAS version 3.1 and higher allow you to define a custom storage layout for a machine, via a custom commissioning script. You must upload a script which conforms to the following rules:
40-maas-01-machine-resources script and before the 50-maas-01-commissioning one, so it should have a name that starts with anything between 41- and 49-. This ensures the script can access the JSON file created by the former which provides info about the machine hardware and network resources. In addition, the custom script can directly inspect the machine it’s running on to determine how to configure storage.$MAAS_RESOURCES_FILE$MAAS_STORAGE_CONFIG_FILE with the desired storage layoutThe configuration contains two main sections: - layout, which lists the desired storage layout in terms of disks and volumes, along with their setup (partitions, volumes, …). This consists of a dictionary of device names and their configuration. Each device must have a type property (see below for supported types). - mounts, which lists the desired filesystem mount points. As an example:
"mounts": {
"/": {
"device": "sda2",
"options": "noatime"
},
"/boot/efi": {
"device": "sda1"
},
"/data": {
"device": "raid0"
}
}A complete $MAAS_STORAGE_CONFIG_FILE would look like this:
{
"layouts": {
"sda": {
...
},
"raid0": {
...
},
...
},
"mounts": {
"/": {
...
},
...
}
}The following device types are supported in the "layout" section:
"sda": {
"type": "disk",
"ptable": "gpt",
"boot": true,
"partitions": [
{
"name": "sda1",
"fs": "vfat",
"size": "100M"
"bootable": true,
}
]
}A disk entry defines a physical disk. The following details can be specified: - the partition table type (ptable), which can be gpt or mbr - whether it should be selected as boot disk - optionally, a list of partitions to create, with their size and filesystem type (fs)
"lvm0": {
"type": "lvm",
"members": [
"sda1",
"sdb1",
],
"volumes": [
{
"name": "data1",
"size": "5G",
"fs": "ext4"
},
{
"name": "data2",
"size": "7G",
"fs": "btrfs"
}
]
}An lvm entry defines a VG (volume group) composed by a set of disks or partitions (listed as members). Optionally it’s possible to specify the the LVs (logical volumes) to create. Those are defined similarly to partitions, with a name and size (and optionally the filesystem).
"bcache0": {
"type": "bcache",
"cache-device": "sda",
"backing-device": "sdf3",
"cache-mode": "writeback",
"fs": "ext4"
}A bcache entry must specify a device to use as cache and one to use as storage. Both can be either a partition or a disk. Optionally the cache-mode for the Bcache can be specified.
"myraid": {
"type": "raid",
"level": 5,
"members": [
"sda",
"sdb",
"sdc",
],
"spares": [
"sdd",
"sde"
],
"fs": "btrfs"A raid entry defines a RAID with a set of member devices. Spare devices can also be specified.
Here’s a few examples of custom storage layout configurations that a script could output to the $MAAS_STORAGE_CONFIG_FILE. The examples assumes that the machine has 5 disks (named sda to sde).
Note that there’s no need to add entries for those devices in the layout section if the disks are not explicitly partitioned, but just used by other devices (e.g. RAID or LVM).
{
"layout": {
"sda": {
"type": "disk",
"ptable": "gpt",
"boot": true,
"partitions": [
{
"name": "sda1",
"fs": "vfat",
"size": "500M",
"bootable": true
},
{
"name": "sda2",
"size": "5G",
"fs": "ext4"
},
{
"name": "sda3",
"size": "2G",
"fs": "swap"
},
{
"name": "sda4",
"size": "120G",
"fS": "ext4"
}
]
}
},
"mounts": {
"/": {
"device": "sda2",
"options": "noatime"
},
"/boot/efi": {
"device": "sda1"
},
"/data": {
"device": "sda4"
},
"none": {
"device": "sda3"
}
}
}In the mounts section, options for mount points can be specified. For swap, an entry must be present (with any unique name that doesn’t start with a /), otherwise the swap will be created but not activated.
{
"layout": {
"storage": {
"type": "raid",
"level": 5,
"members": [
"sda",
"sdb",
"sdc"
],
"spares": [
"sdd",
"sde"
],
"fs": "btrfs"
}
},
"mounts": {
"/data": {
"device": "storage"
}
}
}Both full disks and partitions can be used as RAID members.
{
"layout": {
"storage": {
"type": "lvm",
"members": [
"sda",
"sdb",
"sdc",
"sdd"
],
"volumes": [
{
"name": "data1",
"size": "1T",
"fs": "ext4"
},
{
"name": "data2",
"size": "2.5T",
"fs": "btrfs"
}
]
}
},
"mounts": {
"/data1": {
"device": "data1"
},
"/data2": {
"device": "data2"
}
}
}If no volumes are specified, the volume group is still created.
{
"layout": {
"data1": {
"type": "bcache",
"cache-device": "sda",
"backing-device": "sdb",
"cache-mode": "writeback",
"fs": "ext4"
},
"data2": {
"type": "bcache",
"cache-device": "sda",
"backing-device": "sdc",
"fs": "btrfs"
}
},
"mounts": {
"/data1": {
"device": "data1"
},
"/data2": {
"device": "data2"
}
}
}The same cache set can be used by different bcaches by specifying the same backing-device for them.
{
"layout": {
"bcache0": {
"type": "bcache",
"backing-device": "sda",
"cache-device": "sdf"
},
"bcache1": {
"type": "bcache",
"backing-device": "sdb",
"cache-device": "sdf"
},
"bcache2": {
"type": "bcache",
"backing-device": "sdc",
"cache-device": "sdf"
},
"bcache3": {
"type": "bcache",
"backing-device": "sdd",
"cache-device": "sdf"
},
"bcache4": {
"type": "bcache",
"backing-device": "sde",
"cache-device": "sdf"
},
"raid": {
"type": "raid",
"level": 5,
"members": [
"bcache0",
"bcache1",
"bcache2"
],
"spares": [
"bcache3",
"bcache4"
]
},
"lvm": {
"type": "lvm",
"members": [
"raid"
],
"volumes": [
{
"name": "root",
"size": "10G",
"fs": "ext4"
},
{
"name": "data",
"size": "3T",
"fs": "btrfs"
}
]
}
},
"mounts": {
"/": {
"device": "root"
},
"/data": {
"device": "data"
}
}
}The RAID is created by using 5 bcache devices, each one using a different disk and the same SSD cache device. LVM is created on top of the RAID device and volumes are then created in it, to provide partitions.