Failure to Create a Volume Group

[Darren Etheridge_2]

When trying to create a volume group thru SAM (yea I know sam sux), but I get a failure that the minor number is not unique. I recently exported an old volume group. HOw can I fix this so i don't have to use the command line to create a VG in the future?

[SUDHAKAR_18 · Accepted solution]

how many volume groups (vg) exists ?

#ll /dev/*/group

#strings /etc/lvmtab

[Darren Etheridge_2]

attached is the lvmtab


crw-r----- 1 root sys 64 0x000000 Sep 25 18:23 /dev/vg00/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0b0000 Jul 21 11:45 /dev/vg100/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x060000 Jul 21 11:41 /dev/vg101/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0a0000 Jul 21 11:43 /dev/vg102/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0c0000 Jul 21 19:35 /dev/vg103/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0d0000 Jul 21 20:36 /dev/vg104/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0e0000 Jul 21 21:03 /dev/vg105/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0f0000 Jul 21 23:05 /dev/vg106/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x100000 Jul 28 14:20 /dev/vg107/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x010000 Aug 16 10:17 /dev/vg108/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x020000 Sep 24 14:42 /dev/vg999/group

[Darren Etheridge_2]

attached is the lvmtab


crw-r----- 1 root sys 64 0x000000 Sep 25 18:23 /dev/vg00/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0b0000 Jul 21 11:45 /dev/vg100/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x060000 Jul 21 11:41 /dev/vg101/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0a0000 Jul 21 11:43 /dev/vg102/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0c0000 Jul 21 19:35 /dev/vg103/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0d0000 Jul 21 20:36 /dev/vg104/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0e0000 Jul 21 21:03 /dev/vg105/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x0f0000 Jul 21 23:05 /dev/vg106/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x100000 Jul 28 14:20 /dev/vg107/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x010000 Aug 16 10:17 /dev/vg108/group
cr--r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x020000 Sep 24 14:42 /dev/vg999/group

[S. Ney]

ll /dev/*/group will show you the minor numbers in use. For example (with DRD mounted)
/root> ll /dev/*/group
crw------- 1 root sys 64 0x040000 Oct 22 10:32 /dev/drd00/group
crw-r----- 1 root sys 64 0x000000 Oct 14 2009 /dev/vg00/group
crw-r----- 1 root sys 64 0x010000 Oct 5 2009 /dev/vg01/group
crw-r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x020000 Oct 9 2009 /dev/vg02/group
crw-r--r-- 1 root sys 64 0x030000 Oct 9 2009 /dev/vg03/group

If you exported a volume group those minor numbers should not be able to be seen. Quick example:
/root> ll /dev/*/group
crw-r----- 1 root sys 64 0x000000 Nov 9 2006 /dev/vg00/group
crw-rw-rw- 1 root sys 64 0x080000 Feb 27 2007 /dev/vglock/group
/root> vgexport /dev/vglock
/root> ll /dev/*/group
crw-r----- 1 root sys 64 0x000000 Nov 9 2006 /dev/vg00/group

[Pete Randall]

My guess is that SAM tries to use the next highest minor number. Your minor number are all over the map. You've got 00 thru 03, then 00 thru ff, leaving 04 thru 09 available. Without some substantial renaming effort involving lots of manual "mkdir", "mknod" and "vgimport" commands, I don't see a simple way of re-educating SAM.

It's really not that difficult to use the command line. Take a quick peek at the pvcreate, vgcreate man pages and check the EXAMPLES sections in particular.


Pete

[Chandrahasa s]

Hi,

if you could able to give following info we can help with command lines to create vg.

a)list of disks which you want to add to vg.
b)VG name.

c)list of lv

chandra

[Darren Etheridge_2]

After deleting the last 2 mount points I created before exporting a volume group, it seems to have cleared up the problem. I can now create VGs with no errors... even in SAM. Thank you for all of your help!

D