[linux-lvm] Recover Partition Table - vgdisplay/vgscan fails

[paul.stein at thomson.com]

Additional information explaining what caused the below errors:
 
+++++++++++++++ start +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
<root at paxton:~># fdisk /dev/sdo1
Device contains neither a valid DOS partition table, nor Sun, SGI or OSF
disklabel
Building a new DOS disklabel. Changes will remain in memory only,
until you decide to write them. After that, of course, the previous
content won't be recoverable.
 

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 3541.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
   (e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)
Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by
w(rite)
 
Command (m for help): o
Building a new DOS disklabel. Changes will remain in memory only,
until you decide to write them. After that, of course, the previous
content won't be recoverable.
 

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 3541.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
   (e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)
Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by
w(rite)
 
Command (m for help): m
Command action
   a   toggle a bootable flag
   b   edit bsd disklabel
   c   toggle the dos compatibility flag
   d   delete a partition
   l   list known partition types
   m   print this menu
   n   add a new partition
   o   create a new empty DOS partition table
   p   print the partition table
   q   quit without saving changes
   s   create a new empty Sun disklabel
   t   change a partition's system id
   u   change display/entry units
   v   verify the partition table
   w   write table to disk and exit
   x   extra functionality (experts only)
 
Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 1
First cylinder (1-3541, default 1):
Using default value 1
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-3541, default 3541):
Using default value 3541
 
Command (m for help): t
Selected partition 1
Hex code (type L to list codes): 8e
Changed system type of partition 1 to 8e (Linux LVM)
 
Command (m for help): m
Command action
   a   toggle a bootable flag
   b   edit bsd disklabel
   c   toggle the dos compatibility flag
   d   delete a partition
   l   list known partition types
   m   print this menu
   n   add a new partition
   o   create a new empty DOS partition table
   p   print the partition table
   q   quit without saving changes
   s   create a new empty Sun disklabel
   t   change a partition's system id
   u   change display/entry units
   v   verify the partition table
   w   write table to disk and exit
   x   extra functionality (experts only)
 
Command (m for help): p
 
Disk /dev/sdo1: 29.1 GB, 29133909504 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3541 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
 
     Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdo1p1             1      3541  28443051   8e  Linux LVM
 
Command (m for help): v
62 unallocated sectors
 
Command (m for help): v
62 unallocated sectors
 
Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!
 
Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
 
WARNING: Re-reading the partition table failed with error 16: Device or
resource busy.
The kernel still uses the old table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot.
Syncing disks.
 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ end ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

________________________________

From: linux-lvm-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:linux-lvm-bounces at redhat.com]
On Behalf Of Stein, Paul (TLR Corp)
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 11:20 AM
To: linux-lvm at redhat.com
Subject: [linux-lvm] Recover Partition Table - vgdisplay/vgscan fails


I inadvertantly blew away the partition table on /dev/sdo that was in
use. While the system is still running and no errors have occured...yet,
I need
to get the partition table restored and  be able to vgdisplay the
datavg. Below is the sampling of error messages.
 
<root at paxton:/proc/lvm># vgdisplay datavg
vgdisplay -- ERROR: VGDA in kernel and lvmtab are NOT consistent; please
run vgscan

<root at paxton:/proc/lvm># vgscan
vgscan -- reading all physical volumes (this may take a while...)
vgscan -- found active volume group "rootvg"
vgscan -- found active volume group "localvg"
vgscan -- found active volume group "datavg"
vgscan -- ERROR "vg_read_with_pv_and_lv(): current PV" can't get data of
volume group "datavg" from physical volume(s)
vgscan -- "/etc/lvmtab" and "/etc/lvmtab.d" successfully created
vgscan -- WARNING: This program does not do a VGDA backup of your volume
groups
 
 
 
Is it safe to clear VGDA using the "dd if=/dev/zero of=PhysicalVolume
bs=512 count=1"  shown in the pvcreate man pages and the come back and
recreate the VGDA  using pvcreate, or use pvcreate outright not using
the dd method? Or, is there a better method to get /dev/sdo back into
the datavg
group while recreating the partition table?
 
Paul Stein
 
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