I can not remove a volume group

[esmadscc01p]

Hello,

I am a HPUX 11.11 administrator.

I have a volume group  I can not remove, neither using vgremove or vgexport, because is activated and has still missing logical volumen associated.  The logical volumens were deleted by force, removed from directly from /etc/fstab , so the file system associated.

In this way, if I try to execute a vgexport , I get the error :

vgexport: Volume group "/dev/caprep" is still active.

vgexport. Couldn´t export volume group "/dev/caprep"

And if I try to deactivate it, fails too:

vgchange : Couldn´t deactivate volume group "caprep"

Any idea, how can I force the deletion?

Thank you in advance

[rariasn]

Hi:

# fuser -u /dev/caprep

# vgdsiplay -v  /dev/caprep

rgs

[esmadscc01p]

--- Volume groups ---
VG Name                     /dev/caprep
VG Write Access             read/write    
VG Status                   available                
Max LV                      255   
Cur LV                      5     
Open LV                     0     
Max PV                      16    
Cur PV                      1     
Act PV                      1     
Max PE per PV               35004       
VGDA                        2  
PE Size (Mbytes)            8              
Total PE                    17499  
Alloc PE                    14063  
Free PE                     3436   
Total PVG                   0       
Total Spare PVs             0             
Total Spare PVs in use      0                    


   --- Physical volumes ---
   PV Name                     /dev/dsk/c11t0d0
   PV Status                   available               
   Total PE                    17499  
   Free PE                     3436   
   Autoswitch                  On       

and fuser output:

/dev/caprep:

There is not any reference to the old file systems, neither the directory. In this way , I do not know whay it is still busy.

Regards

[rariasn]

Hi:

# ll /dev/caprep

rgs,

[esmadscc01p]

#ll /dev/caprep

cr--r--r--    1  root    sys    64 0x020000 Mar 16 2007 group

[rariasn]

Hi:

do you have /etc/lvmconf/caprep.mapfile file?

# cat /etc/lvmconf/caprep.mapfile

for each lvol:

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvname1  c 64 0x020001

mknod /dev/caprep/lvname1   b 64 0x020001

mknod /dev/caprep/lvname2   b 64 0x020001

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvname2  c 64 0x020001

...

mknod /dev/caprep/lvname5   b 64 0x020001

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvname5  c 64 0x020001

# vgchange -a n caprep

# vgexport -p -m /tmp/caprep.map caprep

# vgexport -m -m /tmp/caprep.map caprep

rgs,

[rariasn]

Hi:

do you have /etc/lvmconf/caprep.mapfile file?

# cat /etc/lvmconf/caprep.mapfile

for each lvol:

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvname1  c 64 0x020001

mknod /dev/caprep/lvname1   b 64 0x020001

mknod /dev/caprep/lvname2   b 64 0x020002

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvname2  c 64 0x020002

...

mknod /dev/caprep/lvname5   b 64 0x020005

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvname5  c 64 0x020005

# vgchange -a n caprep

# vgexport -p -m /tmp/caprep.map caprep

# vgexport -m -m /tmp/caprep.map caprep

rgs,

[esmadscc01p]

There is not mapfile :-(

[rariasn]

Hi:

--- Volume groups ---

VG Name                    /dev/caprep

VG Write Access        read/write    

VG Status                   available                

Max LV                      255   

Cur LV                      5  <----

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvol1  c 64 0x020001

mknod /dev/caprep/lvol1   b 64 0x020001

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvol2  c 64 0x020002

mknod /dev/caprep/lvol2   b 64 0x020002

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvol3  c 64 0x020003

mknod /dev/caprep/lvol3   b 64 0x020003

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvol4  c 64 0x020004

mknod /dev/caprep/lvol4   b 64 0x020004

mknod /dev/caprep/rlvol5  c 64 0x020005

mknod /dev/caprep/lvol5   b 64 0x020005

# vgchange -a n caprep

rgs,

[esmadscc01p]

Hello, I have created all the special files, but I can not deactivate it, for the same reason:

vgchange: Couldn´t deactivate volume group "Caprep".

Device busy

Thank you, rariasn

[rariasn]

Hi:

vgdisplay -v caprep

bdf | grep caprep

fuser /dev/caprep

Verify  for errors in /var/adm/syslog/syslog.log file

rgs

[esmadscc01p]

The only purpose to remove the volume group is to use the physical disk (140GB ) , exclusively dedicated to this vg, caprep,  composed of missing logical volumens.  The hardware path is 0/4/0/0.0.0  and the  device files are /dev/dsk/c11t0d0 and /dev/rdsk/c11t0d0.   

Is it possible to "initialze" it again? The "Unconfigure" action from teh graphic SAM administrator, can not be applied  because " The physycal Voleme PV cannot be removed since some of its physical extents are still in use".

I do not mind to perform any force action if  I can use again . I see it is impossible to clean the old lvols and vg data.

[rariasn]

Hi:

Do reboot the server will release the affectedVG.

rariasn.

[esmadscc01p]

I can not test it until weekend, but I´ll make it.

I let you know.

Thank you very much for your help.

[rariasn]

OK. Greetings

rariasn

[Pete Randall]

You could try running pvcreate.  The -f option is available to force the initialization of a disk that already belongs to another VG.

[esmadscc01p]

Hi.

After reboot,  nothing changed.

To the 'pvcreate -f /dev/rds/c11t0d0' comand, I get:

pvcreate: The physical volume "/dev/dsk/c11t0d0" is already recorded in thr "/etc/lvmtab" file.

[Hiren N Dave]

Try to boot into single user mode and then vgexport the volume group.

You can also try physically detaching the disk from the server and vgexport to remove perticular vg.

[esmadscc01p · Accepted solution]

Hello,

I have detached the physical disk ( out/put ) and finally it has been released. It has been a dirty operation, with a lot of information left in /etc/lvmconf , etc, and 1 missing volume group, I am trying to restore from backup. I think any information has been corrupted

Thank you for your valious help.