Removing swap

[Mike_305]

Hi,

I have on my system two swap space configured on two different disk and I want to remove one of the swap space. I know I can use sam to do this or do lvreduce. Is their any way I can prevent data loss. What I am trying to find out, is their a right way to do this?

Thanks for your help.

Mike

[S.K. Chan · Accepted solution]

It is not possible to remove swap online. You must deactivate the swap you want to remove and reboot by using these steps :-
a) Comment out the line for the swap area in /etc/fstab.
b) Reboot the machine.
c) The swap lvol is now not activated anymore and you can remove it with lvremove command.
Ex:
# lvremove /dev/vg01/lvol2

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Mike:

The key to removing a swap device is that you must reboot. Delete the swap entry (that you want to negate) from '/etc/fstab'. Next, reboot. Lastly, 'lvremove' the device swap.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Helen French]

Hi Mike:

It is not possible to remove swap online. You must deactivate the swap you want to remove and reboot by using these steps:

1. Comment out the line for the swap area in /etc/fstab.

2. Reboot.

3. The swap lvol is not activated anymore, so you can remove it with lvremove.

HTH,
Shiju

[Craig Rants]

The easy answer is to delete the entry refering to the lvol in your fstab and then reboot your box.

If your more comfortable with sam use that.

GL,
C

[MANOJ SRIVASTAVA]

Hi Mike

You cannot remiove secondary swap online. You need to disable it or commnet the entry in /etc/fstab , then reboot the machine and the reclaim the volume .

Manoj Srivastava

[Mike_305]

Hi,

What about my "maxswapchunck" entry in kernel. Do I need to reduce that?

Thanks,

Mike

[S.K. Chan]

Short answer is NO. The maxswapchunk only needs to be increase to allow you to configure more swap space. Reducing your swap space later does not necessarily means you got to reduce the parameter. If you reduce it, later when you decided to add back the swap, you'll then have to incerease maxswapchunk. Too troublesome ..

[Wodisch]

Hi Mike,

no, you would not even want to reduce it:
Imagine at some point in the future the needs for more swap space might occur. Then you can add more swap space again *online* (without reboot, or the need to stop the application)!

Regards,
Wodisch

[Helen French]

Mike:

NO. You can leave it like that. There is no need to do this.

HTH,
Shiju

[Mike_305]

Hi Guys,

Thanks, I will assign points. It's a party time, every one gets 10 points for quick reply.

Thanks,

Mike