Linux Storage: Partitions, LVM, ZFS/Btrfs, Filesystems, Snapshots, and Backups
Executive Summary Storage strategy = reliable data access with recovery guarantees. Choose based on workload (traditional vs. modern, single vs. multi-server).
Why storage matters: Most production disasters involve storage—disk fills up and crashes your application, a database corruption loses customer data, or backups fail during a restore attempt. Proper storage management prevents these scenarios.
Real-world disasters prevented by good storage:
Disk full at 3 AM: Application logs fill /var → server crashes → customers can’t access site. Solution: Separate /var/log partition with monitoring. Failed database restore: Backup runs nightly for 2 years, never tested. Server dies, restore fails (corrupt backup). Solution: Monthly test restores. Database grows unexpectedly: 50GB database grows to 500GB in 3 months. Traditional partitions = downtime to resize. Solution: LVM allows online growth. Ransomware encrypts production data: No snapshots available, last backup is 24 hours old. Solution: ZFS/Btrfs snapshots provide instant point-in-time recovery. This guide covers:
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