12.4.3. Creating an LVM-based Storage Pool with virsh

This section outlines the steps required to create an LVM-based storage pool with the virsh command. It uses the example of a pool named guest_images_lvm from a single drive (/dev/sdc). This is only an example and your settings should be substituted as appropriate.

Procedure 12.3. Creating an LVM-based storage pool with virsh

  1. Define the pool name guest_images_lvm. 
    # virsh pool-define-as guest_images_lvm logical - - /dev/sdc libvirt_lvm \ /dev/libvirt_lvm
Pool guest_images_lvm defined
  2. Build the pool according to the specified name. If you are using an already existing volume group, skip this step. 
    # virsh pool-build guest_images_lvm

Pool guest_images_lvm built
  3. Initialize the new pool. 
    # virsh pool-start guest_images_lvm

Pool guest_images_lvm started
  4. Show the volume group information with the vgs command. 
    # vgs
VG          #PV #LV #SN Attr   VSize   VFree
libvirt_lvm   1   0   0 wz--n- 465.76g 465.76g
  5. Set the pool to start automatically. 
    # virsh pool-autostart guest_images_lvm
Pool guest_images_lvm marked as autostarted
  6. List the available pools with the virsh command. 
    # virsh pool-list --all
Name                 State      Autostart
-----------------------------------------
default              active     yes
guest_images_lvm     active     yes
  7. The following commands demonstrate the creation of three volumes (volume1, volume2 and volume3) within this pool. 
    # virsh vol-create-as guest_images_lvm volume1 8G
Vol volume1 created

# virsh vol-create-as guest_images_lvm volume2 8G
Vol volume2 created

# virsh vol-create-as guest_images_lvm volume3 8G
Vol volume3 created
  8. List the available volumes in this pool with the virsh command. 
    # virsh vol-list guest_images_lvm
Name                 Path
-----------------------------------------
volume1              /dev/libvirt_lvm/volume1
volume2              /dev/libvirt_lvm/volume2
volume3              /dev/libvirt_lvm/volume3
  9. The following two commands (lvscan and lvs) display further information about the newly created volumes. 
    # lvscan
ACTIVE            '/dev/libvirt_lvm/volume1' [8.00 GiB] inherit
ACTIVE            '/dev/libvirt_lvm/volume2' [8.00 GiB] inherit
ACTIVE            '/dev/libvirt_lvm/volume3' [8.00 GiB] inherit

# lvs
LV       VG            Attr     LSize   Pool Origin Data%  Move Log Copy%  Convert
volume1  libvirt_lvm   -wi-a-   8.00g
volume2  libvirt_lvm   -wi-a-   8.00g
volume3  libvirt_lvm   -wi-a-   8.00g