Re: Resizing LVM issue

[Rick Thomas <rbthomas@pobox.com>]

On Jun 15, 2014, at 12:34 PM, Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com> wrote:

> In my case I had read the documentation.  I had resized smaller
> partitions successfully.  I had no idea it would take more than a week
> of 24x7 runtime before completing.  If I had I would have done it
> differently.  Which is why I am noting it here as the topic came up.
> To forewarn others.  If I had only known then what I know now I would
> have copied it off and then back after resizing.  Experience is
> sometimes the scars left behind after having done things poorly the
> first time.

The optimum strategy is probably to make a full backup, then start the resize.  If the resize looks like it's going to take too long, you can always stop it, write-off the mess left behind by the incomplete resize, re-partition, and restore from the backup.  If the resize finishes in a reasonable amount of time, you go ahead and re-partition and don't have to do any restores.

Worst case scenario -- you've lost the time spent in the incomplete resize.  Best case scenario, you've lost the time spent in doing the backup, but you've gained the time you would have spent in doing the restore.

Since you can't predict hardware/power failures with 100% certainty, doing the backup before you start is a good idea anyway, whether or not you actually need it in the end.

Rick