/etc/lvmtab order

[kwchen]

Hi - Sorry for the long output.
I have a question regarding lvmtab in my rx3600. When I do a strings lvmtab, the order the vg is detected is as shown below.

canary01:/etc# strings lvmtab
/dev/vg07
/dev/dsk/c10t0d0
/dev/dsk/c14t0d0
/dev/vg10
/dev/dsk/c14t0d1
/dev/dsk/c10t0d1
/dev/vg09
/dev/dsk/c10t0d2
/dev/dsk/c14t0d2
/dev/vg05
/dev/dsk/c10t0d5
/dev/dsk/c14t0d5
/dev/vg04
/dev/dsk/c10t0d6
/dev/dsk/c14t0d6
/dev/vg02
/dev/dsk/c10t1d0
/dev/dsk/c14t1d0
/dev/vg00
/dev/dsk/c1t0d0s2
/dev/vg01
/dev/dsk/c10t1d1
/dev/dsk/c14t1d1
/dev/vg03
/dev/dsk/c10t0d7
/dev/dsk/c14t0d7
/dev/vg08
/dev/dsk/c10t0d3
/dev/dsk/c14t0d3
/dev/vg06
/dev/dsk/c10t0d4
/dev/dsk/c14t0d4

The problem i have is everytime I reboot my machines, the messages below appear. It complains about unable to query all the vgs that appear before vg00 is detected (as ordered in lvmtab). I have tried moving the lvmtab and redo vgscan, the order is still unchanged.

lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c10t0d0":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c14t0d0":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query all of the physical volumes.
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c10t0d1":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c14t0d1":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query all of the physical volumes.
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c10t0d2":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c14t0d2":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query all of the physical volumes.
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c10t0d5":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c14t0d5":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query all of the physical volumes.
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c10t0d6":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c14t0d6":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query all of the physical volumes.
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c10t1d0":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query physical volume "/dev/dsk/c14t1d0":
The specified path does not correspond to physical volume attached to
this volume group
lvlnboot: Warning: couldn't query all of the physical volumes.

My question is:-
1) Does the order of how vgs appear in lvmtab matters?
2) Can I manually reorder the vgs in lvmtab?

[Sandy Chen]

Hi,

1. It matters, it showing which disk path is being used as primary connection.

2. The order in lvmtab depends on your vg settings. If you wanted to change the order then use this command:

# vgreduce /dev/vg07 /dev/dsk/c10t0d0
# vgextend /dev/vg07 /dev/dsk/c10t0d0

if you do the vgdisplay -v vg07, the primary link will be /dev/dsk/c14t0d0 and the secondary link will be /dev/dsk/c10t0d0

Regards,
Sandy

[kwchen]

Hi, initially I thought it is the alternate link giving me the problem. I've try changing one of the vgs by vgreduce, vgextend but it would help.

I am suspecting the if we don't get vg00 to be the first detected vg during vgscan in /etc/lvmtab, I will have those warning messages.

Anyone seen this before?

Thanks.

[whiteknight]

kwchen,

Fix those lvlnboot warning message first.


WK

[Sandy Chen · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I think you will have to export all the vg's, make sure only vg00 is the one left and then import all the vg's again

regards,
Sandy

[Duncan Edmonstone]

Why are all those disks are inaccessible? I'm sure you have good reasons (or I hope you do).

Anyway, no you can't control the order in which VGs appear in /etc/lvmtab, but you can control the order in which VGs are activated by customising the file /etc/lvmrc.

But I'm not going to say any more about that until you explain why all those disks are inaccessible (what a meany!)

HTH

Duncan

[Vijay Dsouza]

Yes I agree with Duncan , Check and see what went wrong that such a thing hapenned

1.What were the changes done to the LVM structure ?
2. Till when was this working last ?


Checks
******
Check the syslog for the commands executed for lvm related changes

check the timestamps of the relevant files

check the /etc/lvmrc

was there any activity with the Storage side ?

check the ioscan of the luns available, if you have an old copy of the ioscan compare anc check.

Finally I would say that we need to look in to many aspects for this.Well if you do not want the root cause.

Just export a VG and then reimport it and check the same VG status ..

Cheers
Vijay

[kwchen]

Thanks folk.

The funny thing is the server is working perfectly fine. pvdisplay, vgdisplay, ioscan all shows normal behaviour.

Let me try vgexport and vgimport again. Will update all once I manage to get some maintenance windows.

[kwchen]

Did what Sandy suggested.

After vgexport and vgimport all the vg's that appear before vg00 in the /etc/lvmtab, the warning messages are gone.

Now the first entry in my /etc/lvmtab is vg00.

Thanks.