Re: [Xen-users] expanding Xen guest disk size

[Simon Hobson <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

sylvan.dcunha@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> I have been using Xen on centos and its been working grt..
> I have 3 VM guest OS running on Xen under Centos 5.5
>  ...
> Now I recently ran into a problem that my centos guest VM and 
> windows 2003 and slowly running out of space.
You don't state what type of storage you use for the guest volumes, 
but the process is very similar for all of the options.
1) Enlarge the (virtual) block device. If it's a file based volume 
then you need to extend the file, if it's a partition then it's going 
to be hard, if it's on LVM then just do an lvextend on it.
2) Signal the guest to notice the change in block size. I understand 
that there is a process whereby you can tell the guest to re-read 
this, but I've never done it. A sure way is to stop it and restart it 
- just restarting isn't enough.
3) Resize the filesystem using the appropriate tools.

There are quite a few variations, which is right for you depends on 
you you have things set up. It may well be easier to just stop the 
guest, and resize the filesystem in Dom0 - this has the advantage 
that you don't need to persuade the guest to unmount the filesystem 
if online expand isn't supported.
Also, if you have partitioned the virtual device in the guest then 
you'll need to fiddle with the partitions on the resized virtual 
device - that is more work than just expanding a filesystem built 
straight on the device.
For me, it's a case of :
1) Expand the virtual device with lvm
2) Shutdown the guest
3) fsck -f the filesystem
4) resize2fs the silesystem (I use Ext3)
5) Start the guest - it will now have the larger disk(s)

--
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.

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