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Unallocated Disk Space (Root Dedicated Server)

We usually install new Root Servers with a portion of the storage capacity unallocated. This allows customers to add the free hard disk space using LVM where they need it.

Allocate Free Disk Space to a Partition​

To allocate the disk space, first determine how much space is still unassigned. You can get this information by using the pvs or vgdisplay tools:

root@server:~# vgdisplay
--- Volume group ---
  VG Name               vg0
  System ID
  Format                lvm2
  Metadata Areas        1
  Metadata Sequence No  6
  VG Access             read/write
  VG Status             resizable
  MAX LV                0
  Cur LV                5
  Open LV               5
  Max PV                0
  Cur PV                1
  Act PV                1
  VG Size               931.15 GiB
  PE Size               4.00 MiB
  Total PE              238374
  Alloc PE / Size       195614 / 764.12 GiB
  Free PE / Size        42760 / 167.03 GiB
  VG UUID               mc0LwE-Vx8J-OoWK-qMOb-ZuNR-vpJL-3irxC5

Once the free space is known, extend the desired partition using lvextend. Specify the partition to extend (e.g. /dev/vg0/home) and the amount to add (e.g. -L +10G for 10 GB):

root@server:~# lvextend /dev/vg0/home -L +10G
  Extending logical volume home to 678.12 GiB
  Logical volume home successfully resized

Finally, resize the filesystem using resize2fs:

root@server:~# resize2fs /dev/vg0/home
resize2fs 1.42 (29-Nov-2011)
Resizing the filesystem on /dev/vg0/home to 5242880 (4k) blocks.
The filesystem on /dev/vg0/home is now 5242880 blocks long.

Alternatively, you can combine both steps using lvextend --resizefs:

root@server:~# lvextend -L +10G /dev/vg0/home --resizefs

The newly allocated disk space is now available. This procedure can be performed on a running system.

See also Resize a Partition After a Disk Upgrade for CloudVM-specific instructions.