Storage space partition

[Bob McClure Jr]

On Fri, Apr 14, 2006 at 03:33:47PM -0400, Nair, Murlidharan T wrote:
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: redhat-install-list-bounces at redhat.com
> [mailto:redhat-install-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Bob McClure
> Jr
> Sent: Friday, April 14, 2006 3:06 PM
> To: Getting started with Red Hat Linux
> Subject: Re: Storage space partition
> 
> On Fri, Apr 14, 2006 at 02:44:35PM -0400, Nair, Murlidharan T wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: redhat-install-list-bounces at redhat.com
> > [mailto:redhat-install-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Bob
> McClure
> > Jr
> > Sent: Friday, April 14, 2006 1:17 PM
> > To: Getting started with Red Hat Linux
> > Subject: Re: Storage space partition
> > 
> > On Fri, Apr 14, 2006 at 11:46:24AM -0400, Nair, Murlidharan T wrote:
> > > 
> > > <much snippage>
> > > 
> 
> > [root at bioinformatics ~]# pvcreate /dev/emcpowera
> >   Physical volume "/dev/emcpowera" successfully created
> > 
> >  [root at bioinformatics ~]# vgcreate bio01VG /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdb
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdc
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdb
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdc
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdb
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdc
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Volume group "bio01VG" successfully created
> 
> Okay, now I'm not sure what is going on.  It is more common for linux
> to identify the drives as /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, etc. rather than
> /dev/emcpowera.  What might be more useful would be to run
> 
>   fdisk -l # That's ell as in list.
> 
> and see what drives show up.  Is it possible that /dev/emcpowera is
> the physical SAN disk(s) and that /dev/sdb and /dev/sdc are the
> virtual disks created by the SAN?  If so, the latter should be
> partitioned and pvcreated.
> 
> Also note that you created the partition and then ignored it.  Had you
> used the partition, it would have been called /dev/emcpowera1 when you
> ran pvcreate.
> 
> Rick Stevens, feel free to jump in here.  I'm operating from very
> recent and limited experience with a SAN.
> 
> > [root at bioinformatics ~]# vgdisplay bio01VG
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdb
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdc
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdb
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdc
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Volume group "bio01VG" doesn't exist
> > 
> > [root at bioinformatics ~]# vgchange -a y bio01VG
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdb
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdc
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdb
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdc
> > not /dev/emcpowera
> >   Unable to find volume group "bio01VG"
> 
> 
> I just noticed that the partition it created was called emcpowera1. Here
> is part of the output
> ========================================================
> Disk /dev/emcpowera: 700.0 GB, 700079669248 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 85113 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> 
>          Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/emcpowera1               1       85113   683670141   8e  Linux LVM
> 
> Command (m for help): w
> The partition table has been altered!
> 
> Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
> Syncing disks.
> ========================================================
> I assumed that it would create the partition with the same name so when
> I did a pvcreate I used 
> pvcreate /dev/emcpowera
> 
> I am thinking of doing a pvremove I ran the test here is what I got
> ==================================================================
> [root at bioinformatics /]# pvremove -t -v /dev/emcpowera
>   Test mode: Metadata will NOT be updated.
>   /dev/cdrom: open failed: Read-only file system
>   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdb
> not /dev/emcpowera
>   Found duplicate PV XKollgX4GsBzbFyJsK13JS62S3P4b0Vr: using /dev/sdc
> not /dev/emcpowera
>   Labels on physical volume "/dev/emcpowera" successfully wiped
>     Test mode: Wiping internal cach
> ==================================================================
> Then I can start back with pvcreate correct?  Also will there be any
> consequences of running vgcreate on /dev/emcpowera that used dev/sbd ?
> If so how can I fix it?
> 
> Thanks for your time ../Murli

Did you run "fdisk -l"?  I wanted to see if /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc
showed up.  If either sdb or sdc are synonyms for emcpowera, it would
be better to use it/them just because it's more customary and will
result in fewer surprises.

Cheers,
-- 
Bob McClure, Jr.             Bobcat Open Systems, Inc.
bob at bobcatos.com             http://www.bobcatos.com
The best things in life aren't things.