About This Guide

.NXT StorageManager The Digital UNIX® Logical Storage Manager (LSM) provides high data availability for disk storage devices on Alpha systems. This guide explains LSM concepts and the system administrator tools and techniques you need to implement and manage LSM on Alpha systems.

LSM replaces the Logical Volume Manager (LVM). For LVM users who have not migrated to LSM yet, see Chapter 4 for information about the LSM encapsulation tools to help you migrate LVM volumes, UNIX style partitions, and AdvFS storage domains to LSM.

Audience

This guide is intended for system administrators who need to configure and maintain systems under the control of LSM. This guide assumes that the reader has a:

Working knowledge of the Digital UNIX operating system
Basic understanding of system administration
Basic understanding of volume management
Basic understanding of disk structures

New and Changed Features

This manual has been revised to reflect all the LSM changes that are part of the current release.

This version of the manual also provides the following new features:

New and revised diagrams and tables to define and introduce LSM concepts
Additional instructions for LSM administrative tasks
Additional troubleshooting and problem-solving information
Many new and expanded examples in Appendix C
A revised and expanded index
Reorganization into 15 chapters and 5 main parts

Organization

This manual consists of fifteen chapters (organized into five main parts) and three appendixes:

Part 1 Provides introductory and setup information (Chapters 1 through 5).

Chapter 1 Contains an overview of the Logical Storage Manager, including a discussion of LSM fundamentals, components of an LSM configuration, LSM interfaces, and the LSM system architecture.

Chapter 2 Describes LSM configurations, including concatenated disks, mirroring, and striping.

Chapter 3 Provides information to help you start LSM and perform initial LSM set up.

Chapter 4 Describes how to encapsulate existing user data.

Chapter 5 Describes how to encapsulate the partitions used for the root file system and swap areas to LSM volumes and how to mirror the volumes.

Part 2 Provides disk and volume management information, using the command line interface (Chapters 6 through 8).

Chapter 6 Describes how to manage disks under LSM.

Chapter 7 Describes how to manage volumes and file systems.

Chapter 8 Describes how to manage subdisks and plexes.

Part 3 Provides information on the LSM Support Operations menu interface, voldiskadm (Chapter 9).

Chapter 9 Describes how to perform disk, disk group, and volume operations using the LSM Support Operations menu interface (voldiskadm).

Part 4 Provides task-oriented information on the graphical interface, dxlsm (Chapters 10 through 12).

Chapter 10 Gives an overview of the Visual Administrator graphical user interface (dxlsm).

Chapter 11 Describes the dxlsm menus.

Chapter 12 Describes how to manage disks and volumes using dxlsm.

Part 5 Provides performance tuning, troubleshooting, and error recovery information (Chapters 13 through 15).

Chapter 13 Discusses advanced LSM volume management concepts.

Chapter 14 Gives troubleshooting information and describes recovery procedures such as how to replace a bad disk.

Chapter 15 Suggests performance priorities and guidelines for use with LSM.

Appendix A Provides comprehensive reference information describing the menus, windows, icons, and other features of the Visual Administrator (dxlsm) interface.

Appendix B Lists the error messages generated by LSM, explains their meanings, and suggests actions for the system administrator to take if these messages occur.

Appendix C Provides examples of LSM commands and system output that show how to set up and manage an LSM configuration.

Reader's Comments

Digital welcomes any comments and suggestions you have on this and other Digital UNIX manuals.

You can send your comments in the following ways:

Fax: 603-881-0120 Attn: UEG Publications, ZK03-3/Y32
Internet electronic mail: readers_comment@zk3.dec.com
A Reader's Comment form is located on line in the following location:
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Mail:
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A Reader's Comment form is located in the back of each printed manual. The form is postage paid if you mail it in the United States.

Please include the following information along with your comments:

The full title of the book and the order number. (The order number is printed on the title page of this book and on its back cover.)
The section numbers and page numbers of the information on which you are commenting.
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If known, the type of processor that is running the Digital UNIX software.

The Digital UNIX Publications group cannot respond to system problems or technical support inquiries. Please address technical questions to your local system vendor or to the appropriate Digital technical support office. Information provided with the software media explains how to send problem reports to Digital.

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:

%
$ A percent sign represents the C shell system prompt. A dollar sign represents the system prompt for the Bourne and Korn shells.

# A number sign represents the superuser prompt.

% cat Boldface type in interactive examples indicates typed user input.

file Italic (slanted) type indicates variable values, placeholders, and function argument names.

[ | ]
{ | } In syntax definitions, brackets indicate items that are optional and braces indicate items that are required. Vertical bars separating items inside brackets or braces indicate that you choose one item from among those listed.

. . . In syntax definitions, a horizontal ellipsis indicates that the preceding item can be repeated one or more times.

cat(1) A cross-reference to a reference page includes the appropriate section number in parentheses. For example, cat(1) indicates that you can find information on the cat command in Section 1 of the reference pages.

[Return] In an example, a key name enclosed in a box indicates that you press that key.

Ctrl/x This symbol indicates that you hold down the first named key while pressing the key or mouse button that follows the slash. In examples, this key combination is enclosed in a box (for example, [Ctrl/C]).

mouse The term mouse refers to any pointing device, such as a mouse, a puck, or a stylus.

MB1, MB2, MB3 On a three-button mouse, MB1 indicates the left mouse button. MB2 indicates the middle mouse button, and MB3 indicates the right mouse button. (You can redefine the buttons by using platform-specific window management facilities.)

Menu -> Option -> Submenu Option The right arrow indicates an abbreviated instruction for choosing a menu option or submenu option. The following example means pull down the Modify menu, move the pointer to pull down the Image submenu, and choose the Clear option: Choose Modify -> Image -> Clear

Audience	Icon	Color Code
General users	G	Blue
System and network administrators	S	Red
Programmers	P	Purple
Device driver writers	D	Orange
Reference page users	R	Green

Part 1	Provides introductory and setup information (Chapters 1 through 5).
Chapter 1	Contains an overview of the Logical Storage Manager, including a discussion of LSM fundamentals, components of an LSM configuration, LSM interfaces, and the LSM system architecture.
Chapter 2	Describes LSM configurations, including concatenated disks, mirroring, and striping.
Chapter 3	Provides information to help you start LSM and perform initial LSM set up.
Chapter 4	Describes how to encapsulate existing user data.
Chapter 5	Describes how to encapsulate the partitions used for the root file system and swap areas to LSM volumes and how to mirror the volumes.
Part 2	Provides disk and volume management information, using the command line interface (Chapters 6 through 8).
Chapter 6	Describes how to manage disks under LSM.
Chapter 7	Describes how to manage volumes and file systems.
Chapter 8	Describes how to manage subdisks and plexes.
Part 3	Provides information on the LSM Support Operations menu interface, `voldiskadm` (Chapter 9).
Chapter 9	Describes how to perform disk, disk group, and volume operations using the LSM Support Operations menu interface (`voldiskadm`).
Part 4	Provides task-oriented information on the graphical interface, `dxlsm` (Chapters 10 through 12).
Chapter 10	Gives an overview of the Visual Administrator graphical user interface (`dxlsm`).
Chapter 11	Describes the `dxlsm` menus.
Chapter 12	Describes how to manage disks and volumes using `dxlsm`.
Part 5	Provides performance tuning, troubleshooting, and error recovery information (Chapters 13 through 15).
Chapter 13	Discusses advanced LSM volume management concepts.
Chapter 14	Gives troubleshooting information and describes recovery procedures such as how to replace a bad disk.
Chapter 15	Suggests performance priorities and guidelines for use with LSM.
Appendix A	Provides comprehensive reference information describing the menus, windows, icons, and other features of the Visual Administrator (`dxlsm`) interface.
Appendix B	Lists the error messages generated by LSM, explains their meanings, and suggests actions for the system administrator to take if these messages occur.
Appendix C	Provides examples of LSM commands and system output that show how to set up and manage an LSM configuration.