How to copy a lvm volume group to a different host

[Mark Parsons]

Hi,

We have business copies running on our server which somehow gets the data over from another server. None of the mounts are in /etc/fstab and it all seems to run via scripts based in /opt/emc. (emc being the storage).

However we need to initially create the structure on the destination server. (dehp022c is source server and dehp022a is destination server)

Here are the details of the volume group (there is just the one):

dehp022c

Disk Name – /dev/disk/disk99

Volume Group - vg011af2pr06

Lun Name - 0041B

WWN - 60000970000297900683533030343142

dehp022a

Disk Name – /dev/disk/disk246 

Lun Name - 0052E 

WWN - 60000970000297900683533030343142

So what is the procedure I need to use. The disk on destination server (246) is obviously synced in with the disk on source server (disk99) [so vg011af2pr06 needs to be on /dev/disk/disk246 on destination server (dehp022a)].

Many thanks.

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

Since the VG has already been created, all you need to do is import the disk on the destination:

# vgimport -p -v vg011af2pr06 /dev/disk/disk246

The -p option will preview the task.
Run again without -p to import the VG.

Note that the VGname is local to this node so it doesn't have to match the source system.

Very important: sharing this VG must be read-only on the destination. LVM, filesystem structures and file
data must not be changed by the destination system.
There are many pieces of information that are kept in memory but will be unknown by the destination system.
This is nothing like an NFS import.
Importing a business copy is normally used for data recovery.