AIX Logical Volume Manager

Allocating disk space on an IBM AIX machine

In this example we'll be increasing the amount of /tmp space available.

You can use a Calculator to fine tune the allocation process (you don't accidentally want to allocate all the remaining space to a file system so start conservatively and increase file system size on request) but this example uses basic approximation. There is an IBM RedBook attached to the end of this document which provides much more (gory) detail on the whole process.

Disk Space Before

bash-2.00# df -k /tmp

Filesystem 1024-blocks Free %Used Iused %Iused Mounted on

/dev/hd3 196608 172020 13% 256 1% /tmp

bash-2.00#

1. Login

2. Depending on your terminal emulation you may want to issue a TERM=vt100 (or similar) so SMIT (IBM System Management Utility) works properly in text mode

3. Start smit - the important keys that you will use are F3 to Cancel an Operation and F4 to List Options; arrow keys will allow you to move up and down through menu options - if you find that the function keys don't work, use esc-<num> sequences instead.

4. Select System Storage Management

5. First we need to allocate more LP's (logical partitions) to the /tmp filesystem

a) Logical Volume Manager
b) Set Characteristics of a Logical Volume
c) Increase the Size of a Logical Volume
d) Hit F4 to list the Volumes and select /tmp
e) Bump up the Number of Additional logical partitions
f) Hit Enter to commit and action the changes - you should get a Command: OK

6. Increase the actual partition size

Hit F3 to escape back to the initial System Storage Management screen

a) Select File Systems
b) Select Add / Change / Show / Delete File Systems
c) Select JFS (unless you know the file system has a different format)
d) Change / Show Characteristics of a JFS You should get a pop up list of available file systems; select /tmp
e) Bump up the Size of file system
f) Hit Enter to commit and action the changes; you should see a Command: OK and the new file system size

Disk Space After

bash-2.00# df -k /tmp

Filesystem 1024-blocks Free %Used Iused %Iused Mounted on

/dev/hd3 262144 235496 11% 256 1% /tmp

bash-2.00#

References