VxVM and LVM Question

[Tony Scully_2]

Hello,

I'm looking for some opinions from other admins.

I have a live application server, RP8420,HP-UX 11.11, LVM and MC/SG. I have a test/dev/ server, same h/ware, but with VxVM (for both root and application volumes) instead.

Storage is EMC in both cases.

I would like to stay at this build level (for future development) but need to support the live system.

My thinking is that the application code is the same, the filesystem is the same and the OS is the same. The volume management is different, but how much do you think this impacts the systems usability as a support system to the live one? I think very little, but I'd be interested in your opinions.

TIA
Tony.

[Leif Halvarsson_2 · Accepted solution]

HI,
I don't know which applications you are using but, as the volume manager is "hidden" for normal applications I agree with you. We are in a similar situation as you, planning to migrate from LVM to VxVM (but, also from 11.11 to 11.23).

[Steven E. Protter]

If you are using raw disk, the naming might be different on the LVM versus VxVM.

Besides that, you are correct. There is no impact on anyone other than systems admnistration as far as running these systems with different logical volume managers.

There are a few things you can't do with LVM that you can with VxVM.

Keeping the commands straight would drive me a little batty.

If I were planning to go VxVM, I would transition it in during a hardware upgrade schedule. If you can keep it all going, there is no reason to make the change.

In our shop, they want production and development to be exactly the same, if possible down to the last byte. We can't do what you are doing.

SEP

[Tony Scully_2]

Leif,

Thanks for your reply, these are pretty 'straightforward' high level applications, so I agrre with you there.

Steven,

Good point about the raw volumes, there is one server running an informix d/base where we would have to bear this in mind.

Normally I would like to keep everything the same, but we don't have enough environments to avoid sharing some aspects of development with support, hence this situation. The apps group have already accepted some differences around backup and monitoring software, so the volume management should be OK too as far as I can see.

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply.

Tony.