[linux-lvm] LVM preference for multipath verses disk/by-id/scsi

Simon Loewenthal/NL/Tele2 simon.loewenthal at tele2.com
Wed Dec 30 10:18:13 UTC 2009


Dear all,

    I have a volume group that is currently using discs directly
presented from EMC e.g
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313042 .

An lvdisplay -v shows these PVs:
# vgdisplay -v vg_mds
    Using volume group(s) on command line
    Finding volume group "vg_mds"
  --- Volume group ---
  VG Name               vg_mds
  System ID            
  Format                lvm2
  Metadata Areas        12
  Metadata Sequence No  4
  VG Access             read/write
  VG Status             resizable
  MAX LV                0
  Cur LV                1
  Open LV               1
  Max PV                0
  Cur PV                12
  Act PV                12
  VG Size               202.12 GB
  PE Size               32.00 MB
  Total PE              6468
  Alloc PE / Size       6468 / 202.12 GB
  Free  PE / Size       0 / 0  
  VG UUID               Wnk1a8-xdVf-RorP-ZxPE-Z3D9-5fp1-2o4hHs
  
  --- Logical volume ---
  LV Name                /dev/vg_mds/lvol_mds
  VG Name                vg_mds
  LV UUID                TErCZW-senu-YR3k-I25n-Tqk9-BK2k-3mQY3S
  LV Write Access        read/write
  LV Status              available
  # open                 1
  LV Size                202.12 GB
  Current LE             6468
  Segments               12
  Allocation             inherit
  Read ahead sectors     0
  Block device           253:7
  
  --- Physical volumes ---
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313133    
  PV UUID               255V1X-uMZp-Lod1-3jsa-cCGd-JaNZ-v0dEXn
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313131    
  PV UUID               RU5WZK-G3hY-lXCD-F6Kj-PcJA-DcbE-iV17P7
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313046    
  PV UUID               c3DVym-lzdw-MgS6-acQI-BcUD-UOGq-iG6hSe
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313044    
  PV UUID               d7VD54-KmXZ-t8eX-dvph-9lSp-ym03-Lc62sI
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313042    
  PV UUID               n32oAY-soe3-odYI-SAFQ-yM7v-FRaw-e9hS63
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313039    
  PV UUID               hT2hZ7-XAZr-ZUte-rzLV-kwFX-Jtih-K3OgZe
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313037    
  PV UUID               ut4fEx-R0c2-lA4y-qS3F-SYfp-Chuz-2SrvTo
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313035    
  PV UUID               BMJ8LA-b0L7-aAoK-4WqG-MLdU-s8Y8-xGib2s
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313033    
  PV UUID               uSasZ1-96rT-ngGN-Wfcr-fBNg-ceM0-GaccVU
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030313031    
  PV UUID               R15yAf-t1YO-Z0Dx-4n2G-oTyD-Secp-2igMJc
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030304646    
  PV UUID               nrhhx1-7AxM-VmVv-sRY5-TLR7-UAEE-wBUIMB
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0
  
  PV Name              
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-360060480000290300618533030304644    
  PV UUID               ctz8rd-ew58-0pU8-FssR-x9pR-KSA9-mI4flw
  PV Status             allocatable
  Total PE / Free PE    539 / 0


I want to export this volume group and inport it again using
multipathing.  I have configured the multipathing thus,
 # multipath -ll
dm-6_010F (360060480000290300618533030313046) dm-6 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:31 sdx        65:112 [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:31 sdk        8:160  [active][ready]
dm-17_0012 (360060480000290300618533030303132) dm-17 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=4.7M][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:0  sdn        8:208  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:0  sda        8:0    [active][ready]
dm-13_0103 (360060480000290300618533030313033) dm-13 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:25 sdr        65:16  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:25 sde        8:64   [active][ready]
dm-10_0109 (360060480000290300618533030313039) dm-10 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:28 sdu        65:64  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:28 sdh        8:112  [active][ready]
dm-14_0101 (360060480000290300618533030313031) dm-14 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:24 sdq        65:0   [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:24 sdd        8:48   [active][ready]
dm-8_010D (360060480000290300618533030313044) dm-8 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:30 sdw        65:96  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:30 sdj        8:144  [active][ready]
dm-15_00FF (360060480000290300618533030304646) dm-15 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:23 sdp        8:240  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:23 sdc        8:32   [active][ready]
dm-11_0107 (360060480000290300618533030313037) dm-11 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:27 sdt        65:48  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:27 sdg        8:96   [active][ready]
dm-4_0113 (360060480000290300618533030313133) dm-4 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:33 sdz        65:144 [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:33 sdm        8:192  [active][ready]
dm-9_010B (360060480000290300618533030313042) dm-9 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:29 sdv        65:80  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:29 sdi        8:128  [active][ready]
dm-16_00FD (360060480000290300618533030304644) dm-16 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:22 sdo        8:224  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:22 sdb        8:16   [active][ready]
dm-12_0105 (360060480000290300618533030313035) dm-12 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:26 sds        65:32  [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:26 sdf        8:80   [active][ready]
dm-5_0111 (360060480000290300618533030313131) dm-5 EMC,SYMMETRIX
[size=17G][features=0][hwhandler=0]
\_ round-robin 0 [prio=2][active]
 \_ 0:0:0:32 sdy        65:128 [active][ready]
 \_ 1:0:0:32 sdl        8:176  [active][ready]

Device mapper reports this:
# dmsetup ls
dm-6_010F    (253, 6)
dm-17_0012    (253, 17)
dm-13_0103    (253, 13)
dm-10_0109    (253, 10)
vg00-app052    (253, 3)
vg00-xen    (253, 2)
vg00-usr    (253, 0)
vg00-var    (253, 1)
dm-14_0101    (253, 14)
dm-8_010D    (253, 8)
dm-15_00FF    (253, 15)
dm-11_0107    (253, 11)
dm-4_0113    (253, 4)
vg_mds-lvol_mds    (253, 7)
dm-9_010B    (253, 9)
dm-16_00FD    (253, 16)
dm-12_0105    (253, 12)
dm-5_0111    (253, 5)


What I do not understand is that surly when I perform a vgscan how will
it decide to query only the devices presented from the multipathd, and
ignore those presented via the dev/disk/by-id/scsi-nnnnnnnnnn?  Won't it
see two vg_mds volumes instead of only those volumes that lie on the
multipathed discs, which are the same pshycial discs as the disk/by-id?

My plan of action is currently:
    vgchange -a n vg_mds
    vgexport -m /tmp/vg_mds.map mds
    vgexport -f /tmp/vg_mds.pv mds
    vgscan
    vgchange -y a vg_mds
    vgimport vg_mds /*OR instead do it the long way on the next line*  /
        vgscan
        mkdir /dev/vg_mds
        mknod /dev/vg_mds/group c 64 0xNN0000
        vgimport -v -s -m /tmp/vg_mds.map /dev/vg_mds

I do not see how to tell it to ignore the non-multipathed disc, or has
multipathd or LVM have some preference for mutlipath discs over
non-multipathed discs, and if so then what is the logic behind the decision?

Any help to further my understanding would be gratefully appreciated.

Best wishes, S.

PS. I am using SLES, but this was the only mailinglist I found for LVM
so I subscribed to it.  I think that LVM and multipathd implementations
are reasonably similar across Linux distos. Ergo concepts here are
applicable to Suse.  The kernel I am using is a xen enabled host (not a
guest): 2.6.16.60-0.27-xen #1 SMP.

-- 
Simon Loewenthal/Tele2
GSM: +31 6 2000 5427

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