Ubuntu Manpage: lvm.conf — Configuration file for LVM2

Provided by: lvm2_2.03.11-2.1ubuntu4_amd64

NAME

       lvm.conf — Configuration file for LVM2

SYNOPSIS

       /etc/lvm/lvm.conf

DESCRIPTION

lvm.conf is loaded during the initialisation phase of lvm(8). This file can in turn lead
to other files being loaded - settings read in later override earlier settings. File
timestamps are checked between commands and if any have changed, all the files are
reloaded.

For a description of each lvm.conf setting, run:

lvmconfig --typeconfig default --withcomments --withspaces

The settings defined in lvm.conf can be overridden by any of these extended configuration
methods:

direct config override on command line
The --config ConfigurationString command line option takes the ConfigurationString
as direct string representation of the configuration to override the existing
configuration. The ConfigurationString is of exactly the same format as used in any
LVM configuration file.

profile config
A profile is a set of selected customizable configuration settings that are aimed
to achieve a certain characteristics in various environments or uses. It's used to
override existing configuration. Normally, the name of the profile should reflect
that environment or use.

There are two groups of profiles recognised: command profiles and metadata
profiles.

The command profile is used to override selected configuration settings at global
LVM command level - it is applied at the very beginning of LVM command execution
and it is used throughout the whole time of LVM command execution. The command
profile is applied by using the --commandprofile ProfileName command line option
that is recognised by all LVM2 commands.

The metadata profile is used to override selected configuration settings at Volume
Group/Logical Volume level - it is applied independently for each Volume
Group/Logical Volume that is being processed. As such, each Volume Group/Logical
Volume can store the profile name used in its metadata so next time the Volume
Group/Logical Volume is processed, the profile is applied automatically. If Volume
Group and any of its Logical Volumes have different profiles defined, the profile
defined for the Logical Volume is preferred. The metadata profile can be
attached/detached by using the lvchange and vgchange commands and their
--metadataprofile ProfileName and --detachprofile options or the --metadataprofile
option during creation when using vgcreate or lvcreate command. The vgs and lvs
reporting commands provide -o vg_profile and -o lv_profile output options to show
the metadata profile currently attached to a Volume Group or a Logical Volume.

The set of options allowed for command profiles is mutually exclusive when compared
to the set of options allowed for metadata profiles. The settings that belong to
either of these two sets can't be mixed together and LVM tools will reject such
profiles.

LVM itself provides a few predefined configuration profiles. Users are allowed to
add more profiles with different values if needed. For this purpose, there's the
command_profile_template.profile (for command profiles) and
metadata_profile_template.profile (for metadata profiles) which contain all
settings that are customizable by profiles of certain type. Users are encouraged to
copy these template profiles and edit them as needed. Alternatively, the lvmconfig
--file <ProfileName.profile> --type profilable-command <section> or lvmconfig
--file <ProfileName.profile> --type profilable-metadata <section> can be used to
generate a configuration with profilable settings in either of the type for given
section and save it to new ProfileName.profile (if the section is not specified,
all profilable settings are reported).

The profiles are stored in /etc/lvm/profile directory by default. This location
can be changed by using the config/profile_dir setting. Each profile configuration
is stored in ProfileName.profile file in the profile directory. When referencing
the profile, the .profile suffix is left out.

tag config
See tags configuration setting description below.

When several configuration methods are used at the same time and when LVM looks for the
value of a particular setting, it traverses this config cascade from left to right:

direct config override on command line-> command profile config-> metadata profile
config-> tag config-> lvmlocal.conf-> lvm.conf

No part of this cascade is compulsory. If there's no setting value found at the end of the
cascade, a default value is used for that setting. Use lvmconfig to check what settings
are in use and what the default values are.

SYNTAX

       This section describes the configuration file syntax.

       Whitespace  is not significant unless it is within quotes.  This provides a wide choice of
       acceptable indentation styles.  Comments begin with # and continue to the end of the line.
       They are treated as whitespace.

       Here is an informal grammar:

       file = value*
              A configuration file consists of a set of values.

       value = section | assignment
              A value can either be a new section, or an assignment.

       section = identifier '{' value* '}'
              A  section  groups  associated  values together. If the same section is encountered
              multiple times, the contents of all instances  are  concatenated  together  in  the
              order of appearance.
              It is denoted by a name and delimited by curly brackets.
              e.g. backup {
                        ...
                   }

       assignment = identifier '=' ( array | type )
              An  assignment  associates  a  type  with an identifier. If the identifier contains
              forward  slashes,  those  are  interpreted  as  path  delimiters.   The   statement
              section/key = value is equivalent to section { key = value }. If multiple instances
              of the same key are encountered, only the last value is  used  (and  a  warning  is
              issued).
              e.g. level = 7

       array =  '[' ( type ',')* type ']' | '[' ']'
              Inhomogeneous arrays are supported.
              Elements must be separated by commas.
              An empty array is acceptable.

       type = integer | float | string
              integer = [0-9]*
              float = [0-9]*'.'[0-9]*
              string = '"'.*'"'

              Strings with spaces must be enclosed in double quotes, single words that start with
              a letter can be left unquoted.

SETTINGS

       The lvmconfig command prints the LVM configuration settings in various ways.  See the  man
       page lvmconfig(8).

       Command to print a list of all possible config settings, with their default values:
       lvmconfig --type default

       Command  to print a list of all possible config settings, with their default values, and a
       full description of each as a comment:
       lvmconfig --type default --withcomments

       Command to print a list of  all  possible  config  settings,  with  their  current  values
       (configured, non-default values are shown):
       lvmconfig --type current

       Command to print all config settings that have been configured with a different value than
       the default (configured, non-default values are shown):
       lvmconfig --type diff

       Command to print a single config setting, with its default value, and a full  description,
       where  "Section"  refers  to  the config section, e.g. global, and "Setting" refers to the
       name of the specific setting, e.g. umask:
       lvmconfig --type default --withcomments Section/Setting

FILES