Disk Formatting Options


Disks and partitions can be formatted in a variety of ways depending on how you wish to utilize them. Mac OS X Server 10.3 prefers to format a disk as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled). This is a departure from previous versions of Mac OS X Server. Let's look at the various formatting options (Table 1.5).

Table 1.5. Disk Formatting Options

FORMAT

USE

DOS

Compatible with FAT (Windows) file systems

Mac OS X Extended

Hierarchical File System Extended Format (HFS+)

Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)

HFS+ with constant directory backup (journaling)

Mac OS X Extended (Journaled + Case Sensitive)

HFS+ with constant directory backup (journaling) plus added case sensitivity

Unix file system

Case sensitive but can't be a boot volume for Mac OS X Server; no support for resource forks

Free space

Unformatted space used for Linux or some other operating system


Formatting as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) is your best bet, because adding case sensitivity may cause problems with Classic and SMB mounts. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) adds built-in protection for the directory; the journaling process stores any related changes made in a journal and then writes them to their normal locations on the disk all at once. In the case of an unexpected shutdown or hard crash, the state of the journal dictates whether the changes are written to disk or ignored.

Tip

  • For more information on journaling, please refer to http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn1150.html#Journal.


If you aren't partitioning the disk, you have the option of wiping, or zeroing, the disk. Doing so erases the disk so that any data previously on the disk is now essentially unrecoverable (although companies such as Drive Savers can attempt the recovery of data, albeit for a price). Zeroing a large disk will increase the amount of time before an installation can take place.

Another important choice to make is how you name your disk(s). In days of old, Macintosh users named their disks whatever they wished. Since multiplatform functionality is paramount with Mac OS X Server, you may wish to use all small letters, no spaces, and no other characters in the name of the disk. Although naming your disk "My Mac OS X Server 10.3" is fine, you may find that "osxserver" works better in the long run. Minimizing the length of the name will offer an advantage in certain areas, as you'll see later.

To wipe a disk:

1.

Boot from the Mac OS X Server Install CD 1.

2.

Choose Installer > Open Disk Utility.

3.

Select your disk from the disk list menu.

4.

Select the Erase tab.

5.

Select a disk formatting structure from the Volume Format pop-up menu.

6.

Choose a name for the disk.

7.

Click the Options button near the bottom of the window.

The Erase Options dialog opens (Figure 1.3).

Figure 1.3. In the Erase Options dialog, choose the erase options you wish to invoke.


8.

Choose the erase options you wish to invoke, and click the OK button.

9.

Click the Erase button, and wait for the confirmation dialog. Then, click the Erase button in the confirmation dialog (Figure 1.4).

Figure 1.4. Click Erase in the Erase Disk confirmation dialog.


10.

When the erase and format are finished, you may wish to run Verify Disk from the First Aid tab on your newly formatted disk or volumes.

Doing so ensures the integrity of the newly formatted disk or volumes.

11.

Choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility.

Your disk has now been erased and formatted and is ready for the installation of Mac OS X Server.

Tip

  • Using the diskutil command-line utility to format your disk(s) is perfectly acceptable and is an excellent way to format disks from a remote location on an Xserve booted from a Mac OS X Server CD 1.




    Mac OS X 10. 3 Server Panther. Visual QuickPro Guide
    Mac OS X Server 10.3 Panther: Visual QuickPro Guide
    ISBN: 0321242521
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2004
    Pages: 105

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