[mythtv-users] Virtualisation .. can it do this? (HP ProLiant MicroServer N40L)

[Simon Hobson]

Damian wrote:

>I don't plan on setting up LVM (it that's what I think it is .. 
>making as many drives as you want appearing like one big drive, 
>right?) as I'm used to just putting different types of files on 
>separate partitions.

That is one thing it can do - but there are other reasons for using it.

If you use fixed partitions, then you are more or less stuck with 
what you started with. While it's possible to alter partitions, if 
you want more space then you have to start moving things - which can 
get a bit hairy.

You can use LVM with just a single physical partition (ie not 
aggregating disk space across drives). This allows you to create one 
partition on the disk, which you can later use to create multiple 
logical volumes - without the limit on number of partitions on a 
single drive.

So when you want to experiment, you can just lvm create a new volume 
and you have a new volume that you can put a filesystem on and use. 
Change your mind ? lmv destroy will remove it and return the space to 
the pool. Didn't make it big enough ? lvm resize will change it's 
size, and then you can resize the filesystem within it. Neither a 
create nor resize require that there be contiguous space for the 
volume/size you want - only that there is enough unused space.

While it may seem complicated at first, lvm is actually really easy 
to use. Well worth learning.

-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.