How to use the command 'vgchange' (with examples)

The ‘vgchange’ command is used to change the attributes of a Logical Volume Manager (LVM) volume group. It allows you to change the activation status of logical volumes in one or multiple volume groups. This command can be helpful when you need to enable or disable certain logical volumes for various reasons.

Use case 1: Change the activation status of logical volumes in all volume groups

Code:

sudo vgchange --activate y|n

Motivation: The motivation behind using this example is to quickly enable or disable all logical volumes in all volume groups. This can be useful, for example, when you want to suspend all active logical volumes to perform maintenance or troubleshoot a specific issue.

Explanation:

• sudo: This command requires administrative privileges, so we prefix it with sudo.
• vgchange: The name of the command we are using.
• --activate: This option is used to specify that we want to change the activation status of logical volumes.
• y|n: This argument specifies the activation status we want to set. ‘y’ indicates activate, while ’n’ indicates deactivate.

Example output:

  0 logical volume(s) in volume group "vg1" now active
  0 logical volume(s) in volume group "vg2" now active
  ...

Use case 2: Change the activation status of logical volumes in the specified volume group

Code:

sudo vgchange --activate y|n volume_group

Motivation: The motivation behind using this example is to change the activation status of logical volumes in a specific volume group. This can be useful when you want to selectively enable or disable logical volumes, rather than affecting all volume groups.

Explanation:

• sudo: This command requires administrative privileges, so we prefix it with sudo.
• vgchange: The name of the command we are using.
• --activate: This option is used to specify that we want to change the activation status of logical volumes.
• y|n: This argument specifies the activation status we want to set. ‘y’ indicates activate, while ’n’ indicates deactivate.
• volume_group: This argument specifies the name of the volume group for which we want to change the activation status. It can be determined using the vgscan command.

Example output:

  3 logical volume(s) in volume group "vg1" now active

Conclusion:

The ‘vgchange’ command is a versatile tool for managing the activation status of logical volumes in LVM volume groups. Whether you need to enable or disable logical volumes in all or specific volume groups, this command provides the flexibility to do so. By understanding the different use cases and their respective arguments, you can efficiently utilize this command for your LVM management needs.