Initializing the Volume Manager

The following describes how to initialize the Volume Manager using the vxinstall program. The vxinstall program places all specified disks under Volume Manager control. These disks are automatically placed in the default disk group, rootdg. If you wish to place some of your disks in another disk group, you must use vxinstall to initialize at least one disk into rootdg and then use vxdiskadm(1M) to initialize or encapsulate additional disks into other disk groups. Refer to the VERITAS Volume Manager User's Guide for information on how to create other disk groups in which to place your disks.

Disks that are not initially placed under Volume Manager control by vxinstall can be added later using a Volume Manager interface (such as vxdiskadm). However, you must add at least one disk to Volume Manager control with vxinstall before you can add disks using other utilities or interfaces.

Once you have completed the package install, initialize the Volume Manager as follows:

1. Log in as root.

2. If you want to exclude one or more disks from Volume Manager control, add the names of those disks to the /etc/vx/disks.exclude file.

   vxinstall ignores any disks listed in this file and leaves them untouched. The following is an example of the contents of the disks.exclude file (which you have to create):

      c0b0t0d0
      c0b0t1d0
   

   Similarly, you can exclude all disks on an entire controller by adding the name of that controller to the /etc/vx/cntrls.exclude file. The following is an example of the contents of the cntrls.exclude file:

      c0
      c1
   

3. Enter the following to start vxinstall:

      vxinstall
   

   The vxinstall program then examines all controllers it finds attached to the system and then lists them:

      Generating list of attached controllers....
      Volume Manager Installation
      Menu: VolumeManager/Install
      The Volume Manager names disks on your system
      using the controller and disk number of the disk,
      substituting them into the following pattern:
      c<controller>b<bus>t<target>d<disk>
      
   
      Some examples would be:
      c0b0t0d0 - first controller, bus 0, first target, first disk
      c1b0t0d0 - second controller, bus 0, first target, first disk
      c1b0t1d0 - second controller, bus 0, second target, first disk
      
   
      The Volume Manager has detected the
      following controllers on your system:
      
   
      c0:
      c1:
      c2:
      
   
      Hit RETURN to continue.
   

   Next, vxinstall displays a brief introduction to the initialization process:

      Volume Manager Installation
      Menu: VolumeManager/Install
      You will now be asked if you wish to use Quick
      Installation or Custom Installation. Custom Installation
      allows you to select how the Volume Manager will handle
      the installation of each disk 	attached to your system.
      Quick Installation examines each disk attached to your
      system and attempts to create volumes to cover all disk
      partitions that might be used for file systems or for
      other similar purposes.  If you do not wish to use some
      disks with the Volume Manager, or if you wish to reinitialize
      some disks, use the Custom Installation option. Otherwise,
      we suggest that you use the Quick Installation option.
      
   
      Hit RETURN to continue.
   

   vxinstall then displays a menu with the following options

      1  Quick Installation
      2  Custom Installation
      
   
      ?  Display help about menu
      ?? Display help about menuing system
      q  Exit from menus
      
   
      Select an operation to perform:
   

   The options behave as follows:

   • Quick Installation uses default options for installation.

   • Custom Installation allows you to control whether and how each disk will be brought under Volume Manager control.

   • ? displays a help file describing the current operation or menu choices.

   • ?? displays general information about using vxinstall.

   • q exits from the current operation, or from the vxinstall program.

4. Select either 1 Quick Installation or 2 Custom Installation to proceed with the initialization.

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   NOTE: Quick Installation will bring every disk attached to your system under Volume Manager control unless you have chosen to exclude some disks (through the disks.exclude or .cntrls.exclude file, described earlier). If you have any disks on your system that you do not want placed under Volume Manager control, either list them in the disks.exclude file, or choose the Custom Installation option (which allows you to leave certain disks alone).

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   • If you chose Quick Installation, go to ``Quick installation''.

   • If you chose Custom Installation, go to ``Custom installation''.