TL4 for AIX 6.1 now allows you to rename logical volumes (LV) while they are still online i.e. open.

 

I confirmed this on a test system today.

 

 

# oslevel -s

6100-04-01-0944

 

 

I renamed the logical volume for the /home/nmon filesystem. The original LV name was nmonlv.

 

 

# df -m /home/nmon

Filesystem    MB blocks      Free %Used    Iused %Iused Mounted on

/dev/nmonlv      256.00    254.73    1%       23     1% /home/nmon

 

# lsvg -l rootvg | grep nmon

nmonlv              jfs2       1       1       1    open/syncd    /home/nmon

 

 

I changed the LV name to nmon_lv.

 

# chlv -n nmon_lv nmonlv

 

 

The df command did not show any change i.e. it still displayed the old LV name. As expected.

 

# df -m /home/nmon

Filesystem    MB blocks      Free %Used    Iused %Iused Mounted on

/dev/nmonlv      256.00    254.73    1%       23     1% /home/nmon

 

 

However, the lsvg command confirmed that the LV name had indeed changed. As did the stanza in /etc/filesystems.

 

# lsvg -l rootvg | grep nmon

nmon_lv             jfs2       1       1       1    open/syncd    /home/nmon

 

# grep -p nmon /etc/filesystems

/home/nmon:

        dev             = /dev/nmon_lv

        vfs             = jfs2

        log             = /dev/hd8

        mount           = true

        options         = rw

        account         = false

        quota           = no

 

 

After re-mounting the filesystem, the df command now displayed the new LV name.

 

# umount /home/nmon

# mount /home/nmon

# df /home/nmon

Filesystem    512-blocks      Free %Used    Iused %Iused Mounted on

/dev/nmon_lv      524288    521696    1%       23     1% /home/nmon

 

 

 

Not a big deal you say? Well, prior to TL4, I would have to unmount the filesystem first and then change the LV name. e.g.

 

# oslevel -s

6100-02-02-0849

 

# chlv -n nmon_lv nmonlv

0516-708 chlv: Cannot rename open logical volume. If LV

        contains a filesystem, unmount to close logical volume nmonlv.

 

 

Just another enhancement to the usability features of the AIX operating system.

 

Not as impressive as being able to shrink a filesystem ‘on-the-fly’, but it’s certainly making life easier for AIX administrators. J