Volumes

Provision SAN storage

Provision from an array, then detect the device in Solaris, and add a disk label. 

$ devfsadm –c disk ; cfgadm –lav ; format

I generally write SMI labels with slice 0 named "usr" having the whole disk size (0 to $). The rest are unassigned, except slice 2 which we leave as is.

Veritas Volume Management 

Have the VxVM daemon also see it:

$ vxdctl enable

Configure the disk using the interactive vxdiskadd, or like in this example where we create a new disk group using the disk,

$ vxdisk –e list

$ vxdisksetup -i df8000_73

$ vxdg init datadg disk=df8000_73

$ vxedit -g datadg rename disk array0-1

$ vxedit -g datadg set nohotuse=on array0-1

If a suitable disk group already exists, add the disk as shown below. Check the disk size, then create a volume with it, format it VxFS, in this case with the largefiles parameter,

$ vxdg free

$ vxassist -g datadg make u01 209559808 array0-1

$ vxprint –Ath u01

$ mkfs -F vxfs -o largefiles=yes /dev/vx/rdsk/datadg/u01

Add it to vfstab, and mount it, you can start using the volume now,

$ vi /etc/vfstab

$ mkdir /u01 && mount /u01

Add another disk to be used in a mirrored volume, which is a good way to migrate between storage arrays online,

$ vxdisksetup -i df8000_74

$ vxdg -g datadg adddisk array1-1=df8000_74   

$ vxedit -g datadg set nohotuse=on array1-1

$ vxdg free

Make a plex, attach to the volume,

$ vxmake sd array1-1-01 array1-1,0,209559808

$ vxmake plex u01-02 sd=array1-1-01

$ vxplex att u01 u01-02

$ vxtask list

Remove a plex, subdisk and disk if necessary like this,

$ vxplex det u01-01

$ vxplex -o rm dis u01-01

$ vxdg rmdisk array0-1

$ vxdisk rm df8000_73

After the disk is removed from VxVM, un-provision it at the array, and cleanup,

$ devfsadm -C

$ echo | format

Use vxresize to extend or shrink a volume (concatentation).

TROUBLESHOOTING:

Incompatible Solaris Label – write SMI or EFI label as required using “format –e”.

Select the disk, choose type, select SMI, choose the label command.

Incompatiable disk format – during vxdisksetup pass the “format=sliced” or “format=cdsdisk”.

Choose the format that is suitable for the disk group.

This is just a primer, there is a lot more you can do with VxVM and VxFS. 

Solaris Volume Manager

In earlier versions of Solaris I would mirror internal disk slices using SVM. Firstly, display the partition table of the disk you installed Solaris onto (c1t0d0):

# prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0s2 

You will need a small slice for the "State DB replica", 10MB or so in size. Use the "format" command if required to create the small slice. Create the ufs/zfs boot block onto the alternate disk, and then duplicate the original partition table: 

# installboot /usr/platform/`uname -i`/lib/fs/ufs/bootblk /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s0 
# installboot -F zfs /usr/platform/`uname -i`/lib/fs/zfs/bootblk \
/dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s0
# prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0s2 | fmthard -s - /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s2
# prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s2

Create state database replicas for Solaris Volume Manager on both 15MB slices, in this case "s4":
# metadb -a -c 3 -f c1t0d0s4
# metadb -a -c 3 c1t1d0s4
# metadb -i

In this example, s0 is root, s1 is swap, s3 is /var. Create the sub-mirrors for the original disk (c1t0d0), then the alternate disk (c1t1d0):

# metainit -f d11 1 1 c1t0d0s1
# metainit -f d21 1 1 c1t0d0s0
# metainit -f d31 1 1 c1t0d0s3
# metainit d12 1 1 c1t1d0s1
# metainit d22 1 1 c1t1d0s0
# metainit d32 1 1 c1t1d0s3

Build logical mirrors using the original plexes only:

# metainit d10 -m d11
# metainit d20 -m d21
# metainit d30 -m d31

Save a copy of /etc/vfstab and /etc/system and then open /etc/vfstab for edit: 

# cp /etc/system /etc/system.orig
# cp /etc/vfstab /etc/vfstab.orig
# vi /etc/vfstab 

Update vfstab to use the new logical metadevices (With the exception of root. Do not modify root!). An example of the updated entries is shown here: 

/dev/md/dsk/d10 - - swap - no -
/dev/md/dsk/d30 /dev/md/rdsk/d30 /var ufs 1 no logging

Make the root filesystem vfstab change, and then reboot (this might be a good time to create an altbootpath boot alias in the PROM):

# metaroot d20
# lockfs –fa
# reboot

After booting Solaris, attach the second plex and monitor the resync operations 

# metattach d10 d12
# metattach d20 d22
# metattach d30 d32
# metastat -c | grep "^d"

To increase a SVM volume and grow the filesystem, configure the slices, then (example s6),

# metattach d30 c0t0d0s6

# growfs -M /var /dev/md/rdsk/d30

To add a new concatented volume,

# mkdir /u05
# metainit d105 1 1 c0t0d0s5

# newfs /dev/md/rdsk/d105
# echo "/dev/md/dsk/d105 /dev/md/rdsk/d105 /u05 ufs 2 yes -" >> /etc/vfstab

# mount /u05 

To remove SVM logical volumes and state database replica, use these commands:

# metaclear d12
# metadb -f -d c1t0d0s4

To split root mirrors for software updates,

$ metadetach d20 d22
$ metaroot c1t0d0s0
$ reboot
< upgrades >
$ metaroot d20
$ metaattach d20 d22
< reboot again after sync >

Other Volume Managers (coming soon)