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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    URGENT ISSUE! 64bit?

    Hi,

    One of our server crashed last night and have just got back our server online. (an additional drive was added).

    But I have found out that the current OS (centos 64bit) while my old drives were in 32 bit.

    Would it be possible for the new system to read my old drives? We need to perform restoration because all my drives seem to be empty now.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    You could have the box reinstalled as 32 bit - or set up a temporary box with those drives in them and then do a cPanel migration. Easier still might be to just turn the 64 bit support off in the BIOS.

  3. #3
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    I don't understand, we can downgrade the 64bit OS to 32bit by turning off the 64 bit support @ BIOS?

    Please confirm because I have KVM/IP for the server, can make changes easily.

  4. #4
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    Turn off 64 bit mode in the BIOS and then boot into a 32 bit kernel and you *should* be fine.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Boise, ID
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    Okay, to start with your 64 Bit CentOS should read your 32 Bit CentOS drives fine.

    They use the same file system.

    Second. Every system I've built and loaded a 32 bit OS on of any kind that is AMD 64 I've left 64 bit on in the bios. It helps improve overall system performance.

    If this is an Intel machine it may be different as I only service Intel for my clients I don't build machines for them with Intel processors so I haven't worked with the new 64 bit extensions on Intel.

    If you have backups on your 32 bit drives and cpanel is installed you can just restore the backups to the 64 bit version.

    Also, please take into account there is more to the OS that is 64 bit than just the Kernel.

    If you decide you want to be back on 32 Bit your best option would be an OS reload, not changing the Kernel to a 32 Bit.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
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    Interesting thread, I've never seen a bios option to enable/disable 64bit on any of the amd64 boards I've used.

  7. #7
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    3 of the ones I have used recently have it. I did test it on one system and it cut the performance down pretty hard. Personal opinion it was a carry over from an intel bios, but on recent updates it was still there.

    I will note these 3 boards were not my usual brand. I normally buy MSI and these were PC-Chips per customer request...... Yeah, I know the quality which could be why the selection is in them. LOL

  8. #8
    Originally posted by ServerDave
    Interesting thread, I've never seen a bios option to enable/disable 64bit on any of the amd64 boards I've used.
    I have a couple msi, tyan boards and none of those have this option ....

    Kevin
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  9. #9
    Join Date
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    these were PC-Chips
    As I said cheap boards.

    No MSI board I've worked with has this.

    But why the setting is there is kind of mute anyways in regards to how it affects the question here.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    I don't see what 32bit and 64bit has got to do with reading drives? The drives will both read no matter what OS you're in.

    Perhaps you mean some of the executables won't just copy and run because they're running on a 64bit server?

    I'm also going to back Larry on this one, if you change a 64bit installs kernel to 32bit ... you will completely trash it.
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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
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    New York City, NY, USA
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    Some journals of journaling file systems have dependencies on the "bitness" (the correct word for this isn't coming to mind) of the architecture.

    SGI's XFS for Linux is an example. Filesytems created on a 32-bit machine cannot be read with a 64-bit machine, nor vice versa, without the journal being regenerated.

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