LVM hosed

zdenisl · 05-13-2006, 11:51 PM

I'm having a lot of problems with LVM.

For reference to my problems:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi....php?p=2243499
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=443938

I'm at the point where I'm ready to cut my losses and build a new VG for my user data. I'm trying to remove the corrupted LV's and it's failing.

How can I recover the disk space if I cannot remove the LV's?

My command:
lvremove -v -d -f /dev/ramairVG/lvhome

After a few screens of lines, it get this:

Code:

lvremove -- can't remove open  logical volume "/dev/ramairVG/lvhome"
 
<1> lvm_unlock -- CALLED
<1> lvm_unlock -- LEAVING with ret: 0

Here's my config.

Code:

[root@RAMAIR root]# vgdisplay -v
--- Volume group ---
VG Name               ramairVG
VG Access             read/write
VG Status             available/resizable
VG #                  0
MAX LV                256
Cur LV                4
Open LV               4
MAX LV Size           255.99 GB
Max PV                256
Cur PV                1
Act PV                1
VG Size               156.25 GB
PE Size               4 MB
Total PE              40000
Alloc PE / Size       38418 / 150.07 GB
Free  PE / Size       1582 / 6.18 GB
VG UUID               zGJqIv-0xMR-0xG3-A3pw-LrT5-4Dng-zhVxg5
 
--- Logical volume ---
LV Name                /dev/ramairVG/lvhome
VG Name                ramairVG
LV Write Access        read/write
LV Status              available
LV #                   1
# open                 1
LV Size                70 GB
Current LE             17920
Allocated LE           17920
Allocation             next free
Read ahead sectors     1024
Block device           58:0
 
--- Logical volume ---
LV Name                /dev/ramairVG/lvsyslogs
VG Name                ramairVG
LV Write Access        read/write
LV Status              available
LV #                   2
# open                 1
LV Size                1000 MB
Current LE             250
Allocated LE           250
Allocation             next free
Read ahead sectors     1024
Block device           58:1
 
--- Logical volume ---
LV Name                /dev/ramairVG/lvswap
VG Name                ramairVG
LV Write Access        read/write
LV Status              available
LV #                   3
# open                 1
LV Size                512 MB
Current LE             128
Allocated LE           128
Allocation             next free
Read ahead sectors     1024
Block device           58:2
 
--- Logical volume ---
LV Name                /dev/ramairVG/lvhome2
VG Name                ramairVG
LV Write Access        read/write
LV Status              available
LV #                   4
# open                 1
LV Size                78.59 GB
Current LE             20120
Allocated LE           20120
Allocation             next free
Read ahead sectors     1024
Block device           58:3
 
 
--- Physical volumes ---
PV Name (#)           /dev/md1 (1)
PV Status             available / allocatable
Total PE / Free PE    40000 / 1582

[root@RAMAIR root]# fdisk -l
 
Disk /dev/hda: 203.9 GB, 203928109056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24792 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
 
   Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *         1      1275  10241406   fd  Linux raid autodetect
/dev/hda2          1276     11474  81923467+  fd  Linux raid autodetect
 
Disk /dev/hdb: 203.9 GB, 203928109056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24792 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
 
   Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1   *         1      1275  10241406   fd  Linux raid autodetect
/dev/hdb2          1276     11474  81923467+  fd  Linux raid autodetect

[root@RAMAIR root]# lsraid -R -a /dev/md1 -a /dev/md0
# This raidtab was generated by lsraid version 0.7.0.
# It was created from a query on the following devices:
#       /dev/md1
#       /dev/md0
 
# md device [dev 9, 1] /dev/md1 queried online
raiddev /dev/md1
        raid-level              0
        nr-raid-disks           2
        nr-spare-disks          0
        persistent-superblock   1
        chunk-size              64
 
        device          /dev/hda2
        raid-disk               0
        device          /dev/hdb2
        raid-disk               1
 
# md device [dev 9, 0] /dev/md0 queried online
raiddev /dev/md0
        raid-level              1
        nr-raid-disks           2
        nr-spare-disks          0
        persistent-superblock   1
        chunk-size              64
 
        device          /dev/hda1
        raid-disk               0
        device          /dev/hdb1
        raid-disk               1
 
[root@RAMAIR root]#

Redhat 9 Kernel 2.4.20-8
LVM 1.0.3

I'm running out of options other then reinstall - And lose a lot of work.

haertig · 05-14-2006, 12:25 AM

Sorry to hear you're giving up (not that I know what else you could do!)

I don't think you can remove an active logical volume. Try flagging it as inactive before removing it:

Code:

# umount /dev/ramairVG/lvhome
# lvchange -a n /dev/ramairVG/lvhome
# lvremove /dev/ramairVG/lvhome

comptiger5000 · 05-14-2006, 07:19 AM

if you have to reinstall, boot a knoppix cd first, their website tells how to install lvm into the ramdisk. You may be able to recover some data. restore the data after the reinstall if any can be recovered.

zdenisl · 05-14-2006, 09:37 AM

haertig - the lvchange is not working (why should it with my luck!)

Code:

[root@RAMAIR /]# umount /dev/ramairVG/lvhome2
umount: /dev/ramairVG/lvhome2: not mounted
[root@RAMAIR /]# lvchange -a n /dev/ramairVG/lvhome2
lvchange -- operation not permitted for (open) logical volume "/dev/ramairVG/lvh
ome2"

[root@RAMAIR /]#

comptiger5000 -
I don't fully understand what I could do with a bootable knippox CD that I couldn't do with my current running system. Would you mind explaining in a little more detail what I could do with a knippox CD to recover my data? Or, if there is a howto or something online that you could point me to, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks guys..

haertig · 05-14-2006, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zdenisl

the lvchange is not working (why should it with my luck!)

Typical! Try a bigger hammer, ... this one will (attempt!) to flag all your volume groups as inactive.

First, unmount all your logical volumes - I can predict your NEXT problem

- then try to run:

Code:

# vgchange -a n

zdenisl · 05-14-2006, 12:41 PM

One of my LV's is mounted on /var (/dev/ramairVG/lvsyslogs)
I unmounted via umount -l /var

here's the failed attempt
I re-mounted /var after the vgchange failed.

Code:

[root@RAMAIR /]# mount
/dev/md0 on / type ext3 (rw)
none on /proc type proc (rw)
usbdevfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbdevfs (rw)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
[root@RAMAIR /]# vgchange -a n
vgchange -- can't deactivate volume group "ramairVG" with 3 open logical volumes

[root@RAMAIR /]# mount /var
[root@RAMAIR /]# mount
/dev/md0 on / type ext3 (rw)
none on /proc type proc (rw)
usbdevfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbdevfs (rw)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
/dev/ramairVG/lvsyslogs on /var type ext3 (rw)
[root@RAMAIR /]#

This isn't looking good for me.

zdenisl · 05-15-2006, 08:17 PM

Can anybody help me remove my corrupt logical volumes?

JZL240I-U · 05-17-2006, 02:19 AM

I can't help you either. But if you plan to set up a new LVM system, get the new version of LVM 2.x.y -- that might be more stable...