LVM Basics

Dependencies needed:
Kernel module (version 2.6.9+):
Device Drivers > Multi-device support (RAID and LVM) > Device Mapper Support (CONFIG_BLK_DEV_DM)
Associated kernel module:
dm_mod

Package:
lvm2 – lvm tools
libdevmapper

Show LVM version:
lvm version

Create the physical disks:
pvcreate /dev/hda
pvcreate /dev/hdb
pvcreate /dev/hdc1
pvcreate /dev/hdc2

Show allocated Physical volumes:
pvscan
pvdisplay
lvm pvs

Setup a volume group:
vgcreate vg_name /dev/hda /dev/hdb /dev/hdc1 /dev/hdc2

Display a volume group:
vgdisplay
lvm vgs

Display a logical volume:
lvdisplay
lvm lvs

Create Logical Volume:
Sets the size to 1GB
lvcreate -L1G -n lv_name vg_name

Activate/deactivate a volume group:
vgchange -a y vg_name #Activates: needed after each reboot!!
# This makes it show up as an entry in /dev/
vgchange -a n vg_name #Deactivates

Create the file system (choose one):
mk2fs /dev/vg_name/lv_name # create ext2 fs
mkfs.ext3 /dev/VolGroupBAK/lv_BAK # create ext2 fs
mkfs.ext3 /dev/VolGroupBAK/lv_BAK # create ext3 fs
mkreiserfs /dev/VolGroupBAK/lv_BAK # create reiserfs (reiserfs utils needed)
mkfs.xfs /dev/VolGroupBAK/lv_BAK # create xfs (xfsprogs package needed)
jfs_mkfs /dev/VolGroupBAK/lv_BAK # create jfs (jfsutils package needed)

Mount the File System:
mount /dev/vg_name/lv_name /mnt/point

Add disks to volume groups:
Create the new physical volumes
pvcreate /dev/hdd1
pvcreate /dev/hdd2

Add physical volumes to volume group
vgextend vg_name /dev/hdd1
vgextend vg_name /dev/hdd2

Unmount logical volume to extend
unmount /dev/vg_name/lv_name

Grow lv by 1GB
lvextend -L+1G /dev/vg_name/lv_name

Resize the underlying filesystem to fit (choose one)
resize2fs /dev/vg_name/lv_name # grow ext2/3 to match
resize_reiserfs -f /dev/vg_name/lv_name # grow reiserfs online
resize_reiserfs /dev/vg_name/lv_name # grow reiserfs offline
xfs_growfs /mount_pt # grow xfs online (must be mounted to resize)
mount -o remount,resize /home # grow jfs online (must be mounted)

Remount logical volume
mount /dev/vg_name/lv_name # remount if unmounted

Remove a Logical Volume:
unmount /dev/vg_name/lv_name # unmount any mounted lv
lvremove /dev/vg_name/lv_name # remove any lv

Remove a volume Group:
All logical volumes in group must be removed first.
vgchange -a n vg_name # deactivate vg
vgremove vg_name # removes vg