How to Extend LVM and Add Separate Storage in Linux

Logical Volume Manager (LVM) provides a flexible way to manage storage in Linux. If you are running out of space, you can extend an existing LVM partition by adding a new physical disk. In this guide, we will go through the steps to add a new storage device, extend the volume group, and increase the logical volume size.

Step 1: Check Existing LVM Setup

Before making any changes, check your current LVM structure:

lsblk
sudo vgdisplay
sudo lvdisplay

This will show available disks, volume groups, and logical volumes.

Step 2: Add a New Physical Disk

1. Attach the new storage disk to your system.
2. Identify the new disk using: lsblk fdisk -l
3. If needed, partition the new disk: sudo fdisk /dev/sdb
   • Press n to create a new partition
   • Select partition type as Linux LVM (Hex code: 8e)
   • Save and exit by pressing w

Step 3: Add the New Disk to LVM

1. Initialize the disk as a physical volume: sudo pvcreate /dev/sdb1
2. Extend the existing volume group (replace vg_name with your actual VG name): sudo vgextend vg_name /dev/sdb1
3. Verify the volume group size: sudo vgdisplay

Step 4: Extend the Logical Volume

Find the logical volume name:

sudo lvdisplay

To increase the logical volume size:

sudo lvextend -l +100%FREE /dev/vg_name/lv_name

This command allocates all available free space to the logical volume.

Step 5: Resize the Filesystem

For ext4 filesystem:

sudo resize2fs /dev/vg_name/lv_name

For XFS filesystem:

sudo xfs_growfs /dev/vg_name/lv_name

Step 6: Verify the Changes

Check the updated disk space:

df -h
lsblk
sudo lvdisplay

Conclusion

With these steps, you can easily add a new disk to your LVM, extend storage space, and increase logical volume size without downtime. This method is useful for servers and virtual machines where storage expansion is needed dynamically.

Need further guidance? Drop your questions in the comments below! 🚀