Managing Disks and Disk groups (getting into the useful stuff)
After 3.2 you can use enclosure names to get away from OS dependent pathing. So if you want to call a certain array “blue” and another one “red” you can do so.
The following are reserved disk group names: bootdg, defaultdg, nodg.
If you’ve encapsulated your root disk, bootdg is an alias for the volumes that are used to boot the system.
“defaultdg” is an alias for the disk group that should be assumed if the –g option is not specified on a command.
By default, both bootdg and defaultdg are set to nodg.
A default disk group can be specified with: vxdctl defaultdg diskgroup
Disk Configuration Stages
1. Initialize the disk
2. Assign disk to a disk group
3. Assign disk space to volumes
Creating a Disk Group
You can add a single disk or multiple disks.
You cannot add a disk to more than one disk group
Disk media names must be unique within a disk group
Adding a disk to a disk group makes the disk space available for use in creating VM volumes.
Creating a Disk Group: VEA
Select Actions-> New Disk Group
Specify a name
Add at least one disk
Specify disk media names for the disks added
To add another disk: Actions-> Add Disk to Disk Group
Creating a Disk Group: vxdiskadm
“Add or initialize one or more disks”
Creating a Disk Group: CLI
Initialize disk(s):
vxdisksetup –i device_tag [attributes]
i.e. vxdisksetup –i c2t0d0
Initialize disk group by adding at least one disk:
vxdg init diskgroup disk_name=device_tag
i.e. vxdg init newdg newdg01=c2t0d0
Add more disks to the disk group:
vxdg –g diskgroup adddisk disk_name=device_tag
i.e. vxdg –g newdg adddisk newdg02=c2t1d0
Viewing All Disks: VEA
In VEA, disks are represented under the Disks node in the object tree, in the Disk View window, and in the grid for several object types, including controllers, disk groups, enclosures, and volumes.
The status of a disk can be:
Not Initialized: The disk is not under VxVM control
Free: The disk is in the free disk pool; it is initialized by VxVM but is not in a disk group
Foreign: The disk is under the control of another host
Imported: The disk is in an imported disk group
Deported: The disk is in a deported disk group
Disconnected: The disk contains subdisks that are not available because of hardware failure
External: The disk is in use by a foreign manager, such as Logical Volume Manager
Viewing Disk Information: CLI
vxdisk –o alldgs list
In the output:
Status of online – disk is under VxVM control and is available for creating volumes
Status of online invalid – disk is not under VxVM control
Viewing Detailed Information: CLI
vxdisk –g diskgroup list disk_name
i.e. vxdisk –g datadg list datadg01
Viewing Disk Groups: CLI
Display imported disk groups only - vxdg list
Display all disk groups, including deported disk groups – vxdg –o alldgs list
Display free space – vxdg free
Creating a Non-CDS Disk and Disk Group
To initialize a disk as a sliced disk:
vxdisksetup –i device_tag format=sliced
To initialize a non-CDS disk group:
vxdg init diskgroup disk_name=device_tag cds=off
Before Removing a Disk
Either move the disk to the free disk pool or return disk to an uninitialized state.
You cannot remove the last disk in a disk group, unless you destroy the disk group.
Before removing a disk, ensure that the disk does not contain needed data.
Evacuating a Disk
Before removing a disk you may need to evacuate data to another disk.
VEA:
Select disk to be evacuated
Select Actions -> Evacuate Disk
vxdiskadm:
“Move volumes from a disk”
CLI:
vxevac –g diskgroup from_disk [to_disk]
i.e vxevac –g datadg datadg02 datadg03
If the “to disk” is not specified VM will find the space for you.
Removing a Disk from VxVM
VEA:
Select disk to be removed
Select Actions -> Remove Disk from Dynamic Disk Group
vxdiskadm:
“Remove a disk”
CLI:
vxdg –g diskgroup rmdisk disk_name
i.e. vxdg –g newdg rmdisk newdg02
vxdiskunsetup [-C] device_tag
i.e vxdiskunsetup c0t2d0
Renaming a Disk
VEA:
Select disk to be renamed
Select Actions -> Rename Disk
Specify the original disk name and the new name
CLI:
vxedit –g diskgroup rename old_name new_name
Note:
The new disk name must be unique within the disk group
Renaming a disk does not automatically rename subdisks on the disk.
Deporting a Disk Group: VEA
Select Actions -> Deport Disk Group
Deporting a Disk Group: vxdiskadm
“Remove access to (deport) a disk group”
Deporting a Disk Group: CLI
Deport: vxdg deport diskgroup
Deport and rename: vxdg –n new_name deport old_name
Deport to a new host: vxdg –h hostname deport diskgroup
Importing a Disk Group: VEA
Select Actions -> Import Disk Group
Importing a Disk Group: vxdiskadm
“Enable access to (import) a disk group”
Importing a Disk Group: CLI
Import: vxdg import diskgroup
After import, start all volumes: vxvol –g diskgroup startall
To import and rename a disk group: vxdg –n new_name import old_name
To import and rename temporarily: vxdg –t –n new_name import old_name
To clear import locks: vxdg –tC –n new_name import old_name
Renaming a Disk Group:
VEA: Actions -> Rename Disk Group
CLI: follow directions on deporting and importing a disk group to rename.
Destroying a Disk Group:
VEA: Actions -> Destroy Disk Group
CLI: vxdg destroy diskgroup

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