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Unable To Extend LVM File System with Associated Snapshot in CentOS/RHEL

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The Problem

User is unable to Extend LVM file system which has snapshot, Error “Snapshot origin volumes can be resized only while inactive: try lvchange -an“. The user has created a snapshot on non-root LVM volume as shown below.

# lvcreate --size 100M --snapshot --name testsnap /dev/testVG/testLV 
  Logical volume "testsnap" created
# lvs -a -o+devices
  LV       VG         Attr   LSize   Origin Snap%  Move Log Copy%  Convert Devices       
  LogVol00 VolGroup00 -wi-ao   7.91G                                       /dev/vda2(0)  
  LogVol01 VolGroup00 -wi-ao   1.97G                                       /dev/vda2(253)
  testLV   testVG     owi-a-   1.00G                                       /dev/vdb1(0)  
  testsnap testVG     swi-a- 100.00M testLV   0.01                         /dev/vdb1(256)
# vgs -a
  VG         #PV #LV #SN Attr   VSize VFree
  VolGroup00   1   2   0 wz--n- 9.88G    0 
  testVG       2   2   1 wz--n- 3.99G 2.89G

If the user tries to extend the filesystem with associated snapshot, it would throw an error as shown below.

# lvextend -L +1G /dev/testVG/testLV 
  Snapshot origin volumes can be resized only while inactive: try lvchange -an

The Solution

LVs with snapshot needs to be deactivated before extending/resizing since online resize of LVM partitions with snapshot is not possible. Follow the steps outlined below:

1. Deactivate the LVM partition first and verify the current size of the LV.

# lvchange -an /dev/testVG/testLV 
# lvs -a -o+devices
  LV       VG         Attr   LSize   Origin Snap%  Move Log Copy%  Convert Devices       
  LogVol00 VolGroup00 -wi-ao   7.91G                                       /dev/vda2(0)  
  LogVol01 VolGroup00 -wi-ao   1.97G                                       /dev/vda2(253)
  testLV   testVG     owi---   1.00G                                       /dev/vdb1(0)  
  testsnap testVG     swi--- 100.00M testLV                                /dev/vdb1(256)

2. Now perform the resize operation and verify the LV size again.

# lvextend -L +1G /dev/testVG/testLV 
  Extending logical volume testLV to 2.00 GB
  Logical volume testLV successfully resized
# lvs -a -o+devices
  LV       VG         Attr   LSize   Origin Snap%  Move Log Copy%  Convert Devices       
  LogVol00 VolGroup00 -wi-ao   7.91G                                       /dev/vda2(0)  
  LogVol01 VolGroup00 -wi-ao   1.97G                                       /dev/vda2(253)
  testLV   testVG     owi---   2.00G                                       /dev/vdb1(0)  
  testLV   testVG     owi---   2.00G                                       /dev/vdb1(281)
  testLV   testVG     owi---   2.00G                                       /dev/vdc1(0)  
  testsnap testVG     swi--- 100.00M testLV                                /dev/vdb1(256)

3. Next step is to resize the LVM snapshot associated with the LV.

# lvextend -L +100M /dev/testVG/testsnap
Extending logical volume testsnap to 200.00 MB
  Logical volume testsnap successfully resized

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