Yes, but / or your root dir is very tricky, better to only convert /tmp, /home, /var and /usr and only if those filesystems are separated and are not all under you root "/" filesystem.
These steps make a lot of assumptions and you will need to make sure you have the data backed-up, i in no way support or stand by these steps...they have worked for me. RHEL4.6 update 6 or 7
Here is a document that wrote on the subject. If you write me personally I will send you the word doc with graphics and screen shots.
####################################################################
Steps to move /tmp, /home and /var partitions into the new hard disk by using LVM (Logical Volume Management)
• Shutdown the server.
• Insert 2 additional hard disks into the server.
• Start the server
• Press “F” to load and save new configurations.
For Ex:
• Virtualdisk 0
• Virtualdisk 1
To ensure which HDD is new one by using the command “fdisk -l” and “inq”
In the below example, /dev/sdc is the new one.
Please take the backup before doing this activity
To create the LVM in the new hard disk
There are 2 steps to create LVM by using
• LVM commands ( pvreate, vgcreate,lvcreate)
• LVM GUI Tool from X windows
Herewith enclosed LVM partition details
Volume Group Name RootVG
LV Name Temporary mount point Actual Mount Point Size
tmplv /mnt/newtmp /tmp 5 GB
homelv /mnt/newhome /home 5 GB
varlv /mnt/newvar /var 3 GB
Please check the total used disk space of each partition before allocating space into LVM
# cd /
# cd /home/
# du -sh
6.5G .
# cd /var/
# du -sh
222M .
# cd /tmp/
# du -sh
1.8M .
Herewith enclosed steps to create LVM by using command (we are assuming the hard disk drive is /dev/sdc
Delete the existing partitions if any and create the partition with a system type “8e
( Linux LVM) by using fdisk
# fdisk -l /dev/sdc
Disk /dev/sdc: 72.7 GB, 72746008576 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8844 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 1 8845 71041023+ 8e Linux LVM
• To Create LVM by using LVM GUI Tool from X windows
• Start ->Applications System settings Logical Volume Management
Create the Physical volume then create Volume Group
To create LV
# vgdisplay
Then, go to “Drop to single-user mode” step
• To Create LVM by using LVM commands
# pvcreate /dev/sdc1
# pvdisplay
--- Physical volume ---
PV Name /dev/sdc1
VG Name RootVG
PV Size 67.75 GB / not usable 32.00 MB
Allocatable yes
PE Size (KByte) 32768
Total PE 2167
Free PE 1783
Allocated PE 384
PV UUID mq8ju2-Tw6W-lmnT-ODYe-rqvh-A6qK-wOzhMl
# vgcreate RootVG /dev/sdc1
# vgdisplay
--- Volume group ---
VG Name RootVG
System ID
Format lvm2
Metadata Areas 1
Metadata Sequence No 5
VG Access read/write
VG Status resizable
MAX LV 256
Cur LV 3
Open LV 3
Max PV 256
Cur PV 1
Act PV 1
VG Size 67.72 GB
PE Size 32.00 MB
Total PE 2167
Alloc PE / Size 384 / 12.00 GB
Free PE / Size 1783 / 55.72 GB
VG UUID Y5DDBI-YZ0I-E8ef-Z2JQ-Lv1C-LMiH-G4AWZT
# vgscan
Reading all physical volumes. This may take a while...
Found volume group "RootVG" using metadata type lvm2
# lvcreate --name varlv --size 3G RootVG
# lvcreate --name homelv --size 2G RootVG
# lvcreate --name tmplv --size 4G RootVG
# lvdisplay
--- Logical volume ---
LV Name /dev/RootVG/varlv
VG Name RootVG
LV UUID yVsHGM-fouY-feIT-u0LR-NlPE-V74g-tP5bOq
LV Write Access read/write
LV Status available
# open 1
LV Size 2.00 GB
Current LE 64
Segments 1
Allocation inherit
Read ahead sectors 0
Block device 253:0
--- Logical volume ---
LV Name /dev/RootVG/homelv
VG Name RootVG
LV UUID 79Rn6c-FT8u-YbuX-FHkX-IGP3-rGQl-LESt5p
LV Write Access read/write
LV Status available
# open 1
LV Size 8.00 GB
Current LE 256
Segments 2
Allocation inherit
Read ahead sectors 0
Block device 253:1
--- Logical volume ---
LV Name /dev/RootVG/tmplv
VG Name RootVG
LV UUID 3Zud73-RJJF-BYfw-cFLi-nlve-83PX-03Wo4h
LV Write Access read/write
LV Status available
# open 1
LV Size 2.00 GB
Current LE 64
Segments 1
Allocation inherit
Read ahead sectors 0
Block device 253:2
# lvscan
ACTIVE '/dev/RootVG/varlv' [2.00 GB] inherit
ACTIVE '/dev/RootVG/homelv' [8.00 GB] inherit
ACTIVE '/dev/RootVG/tmplv' [2.00 GB] inherit
# mkfs.ext3 /dev/RootVG/homelv
# mkfs.ext3 /dev/RootVG/tmplv
# mkfs.ext3 /dev/RootVG/varlv
# mkdir /mnt/newhome /mnt/newvar /mnt/newtmp
# mount /dev/RootVG/homelv /mnt/newhome
# mount /dev/RootVG/tmplv /mnt/newtmp
# mount /dev/RootVG/varlv /mnt/newvar
• Drop to single-user mode
Entering single-user mode
# init 1
Change directories to /home and copy files
# cd /home
# cp -ax * /mnt/newhome
Moving the directory
# cd /
# mv /home /old.home
# mkdir /home
# umount /dev/RootVG/homelv
# mount /dev/RootVG/homelv /home
Change directories to /home and copy files
# cd /tmp
# chmod 1777 /mnt/newtmp
# cp -ax * /mnt/newtmp
Moving the /tmp directory
# cd /
# mv /tmp /old.tmp
# mkdir /tmp
# chmod 1777 /tmp
# umount /dev/RootVG/tmplv
# mount /dev/RootVG/tmplv /tmp
Change directories to /var and copy files
# cd /var
# cp -ax * /mnt/newvar
Moving the /var directory
# cd /
# mv /var /old.var
# mkdir /var
# umount /dev/RootVG/varlv
# mount /dev/RootVG/varlv /var
Editing fstab
Before change
/dev/RootVG/varlv /mnt/newvar ext3 defaults 1 2
/dev/RootVG/homelv /mnt/newhome ext3 defaults 1 2
/dev/RootVG/tmplv /mnt/newtmp ext3 defaults 1 2
After change
/dev/RootVG/varlv /var ext3 defaults 1 2
/dev/RootVG/homelv /home ext3 defaults 1 2
/dev/RootVG/tmplv /tmp ext3 defaults 1 2
# init 3
# df
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdb3 20641788 14965092 4628056 77% /
/dev/sdb7 5162796 1975052 2925488 41% /asm
/dev/sdb1 101086 13811 82056 15% /boot
none 16445284 0 16445284 0% /dev/shm
/dev/sdb2 20641788 4106260 15486888 21% /oracle
/dev/sdb6 5162796 1432604 3467936 30% /usr/openv
/dev/mapper/RootVG-varlv
2064208 262724 1696628 14% /var
/dev/mapper/RootVG-homelv
8256952 6830976 1006560 88% /home
/dev/mapper/RootVG-tmplv
2064208 37748 1921604 2% /tmp
• Reboot the server to verify the changes
####################################################################
--- On Thu, 5/7/09, Kannan, Mouli <Mouli.Kannan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> From: Kannan, Mouli <Mouli.Kannan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Reg: Convert normal partition to lvm
> To: redhat-list@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009, 5:43 AM
> Hi,
>
> Could you please tell me IS it possible to convert normal
> partion to LVM
> pation in redahat wihotut data loss on existing volume?
>
>
> Thanks,
> Mouli N
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