Convert VMs from image to LVM

[decibel83]

Hi.

I wish to begin using LVM for the storage of my virtual machine to install and configure drbd, but now I have virtual machines all with the storage as raw images in /var/lib/vz.

Is there a way to convert the virtual machines from image to LVM?

Thank you very much!
Bye.

 

[udo]

Hi.

I wish to begin using LVM for the storage of my virtual machine to install and configure drbd, but now I have virtual machines all with the storage as raw images in /var/lib/vz.

Is there a way to convert the virtual machines from image to LVM?

Thank you very much!
Bye.

Hi,
the official way: backup and restore (and select the right storage for restore).
the fast way: shut down VM - create disk on lvm, copy disk via "dd", change vm-config, start vm again.

Udo

 

[decibel83]

Hi,
the official way: backup and restore (and select the right storage for restore).
the fast way: shut down VM - create disk on lvm, copy disk via "dd", change vm-config, start vm again.

Udo

Thank you very much for your answer!

Now the question is: the drbd howto for Proxmox tells about LVM based storage for virtual machines, but could I use drbd with .raw images too? This should permits me to avoid the conversion of all virtual machines!

Thank you very much!

 

[udo]

Thank you very much for your answer!

Now the question is: the drbd howto for Proxmox tells about LVM based storage for virtual machines, but could I use drbd with .raw images too? This should permits me to avoid the conversion of all virtual machines!

Thank you very much!

Hi,
yes and no. For raw-files you need an filesystem and for an storage which is mounted on more than one host this filesystem must be an clusterfilesystem.

So for an easy way with ext/xfs/... is the answer no. For an clusterfs is the answer yes, but normaly this is oversized (and IMHO has not the same performance like an lvm-storage).
I don't have experiences with cluster-filesystem - if you want look further, there are some threads about this.

Udo

 

[decibel83]

I understand what you're telling.
I'm interested in activate drbd, which can have a file system on it (a drbd resource can be formatted as a LVM physical volume or a "true" file system), so this shouldn't be a problem for the raw files...

I was asking if a configuration like this could be bad for Proxmox and DRBD...