pvcreate(1M) pvcreate(1M)
NAME [Toc] [Back]
pvcreate - create physical volume for use in LVM volume group
SYNOPSIS [Toc] [Back]
/usr/sbin/pvcreate [-b] [-B] [-d soft_defects] [-s disk_size] [-f]
[-t disk_type] pv_path
DESCRIPTION [Toc] [Back]
The pvcreate command initializes a direct access storage device (a raw
disk device) for use as a physical volume in a volume group.
If pv_path contains a file system and the -f option is not specified,
pvcreate asks for confirmation. The request for confirmation avoids
accidentally deleting a file system.
Furthermore, when the -f option is not specified, the operation is
denied if pv_path already belongs to another volume group, or the
pv_path refers to a disk device under the control of the VERITAS
Volume Manager.
After using pvcreate to create a physical volume, use vgcreate to add
it to a new volume group or vgextend to add it to an existing volume
group (see vgcreate(1M) and vgextend(1M)).
Disks cannot be added to a volume group until they are properly
initialized by pvcreate.
pv_path can be made into a bootable disk by specifying the -B option,
which reserves space on the physical volume for boot-related data.
This is a prerequisite for creating root volumes on logical volumes.
Refer to mkboot(1M) and lif(4) for more information.
Options and Arguments [Toc] [Back]
pvcreate recognizes the following options and arguments:
pv_path The character (raw) device path name of a
physical volume.
-b Read from standard input the numbers that
correspond to the indexes of all known bad
blocks on the physical volume, pv_path, that
is being created. Specify the indexes using
decimal, octal, or hexadecimal numbers in
standard C-language notation, with numbers
separated by newline, tab, or formfeed
characters. If this option is not used,
pvcreate assumes that the physical volume
contains no bad blocks.
-B Make a bootable physical volume (i.e., a
system disk). On PA-RISC systems, pv_path
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should be the path name for the whole disk.
On Itanium(R)-based systems, pv_path should
be the path name for the disk section
containing the HP-UX partition.
-d soft_defects Specify the minimum number of bad blocks that
LVM should reserve in order to perform
software bad block relocation. This number
can be no larger than 7039. If not
specified, one block is reserved for each 8K
of data blocks.
-s disk_size Effective size of the physical volume to be
created, specified in number of physical
sectors.
-f Force the creation of a physical volume (thus
deleting any file system or volume manager
information present) without first requesting
confirmation.
Warning: The -f option should only be used as
a last resort to over write file system or
volume manager information that cannot
properly be removed using the commands
designed for that purpose. When invoked with
-f, the command does minimal verification, so
care should be taken to assure that the disk
is not already in use prior to invoking the
command.
-t disk_type Retrieve configuration information about the
physical volume from the file /etc/disktab.
disk_type specifies the device (for example,
hp7959S).
The disk_type only needs to be specified when
pvcreate fails to get the size from the
underlying disk driver. If the driver
successfully returns the size of the device,
disk_type is ignored.
Note [Toc] [Back]
A physical volume created under HP-UX 11.0 or later versions of HP-UX
may have a different user data size than the same disk would have had
under HP-UX 10.20 or earlier versions.
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES [Toc] [Back]
Environment Variables
LANG determines the language in which messages are displayed.
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If LANG is not specified or is null, it defaults to "C" (see lang(5)).
If any internationalization variable contains an invalid setting, all
internationalization variables default to "C" (see environ(5)).
EXAMPLES [Toc] [Back]
Create a physical volume on raw device /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0, and force the
creation without confirmation:
pvcreate -f /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0
Create a bootable physical volume for an Itanium-based system on raw
device /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0s2, and force the creation without
confirmation:
pvcreate -fB /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0s2
Create a physical volume on raw device /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0, specifying
that a bad blocks list (7, 13, 95, and 133) must be read from standard
input:
echo 7 13 95 133 | pvcreate -b /dev/rdsk/c1t0d0
WARNINGS [Toc] [Back]
Check the manufacturer's listing or run diagnostics testing for bad
blocks on the device prior to creating a physical volume. If bad
blocks are present, use the -b option when creating the physical
volume.
Itanium(R)-based System Warning [Toc] [Back]
If you are using pvcreate on an Itanium-based system boot disk, ensure
that the device file specifies the EFI partition number. For example,
pvcreate /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s1
FILES [Toc] [Back]
/etc/disktab Disk geometry and disk partition characteristics
for all disk devices on the system
SEE ALSO [Toc] [Back]
idisk(1M), mkboot(1M), vgcreate(1M), vgextend(1M), lif(4).
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