Adding DASDs on SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 7 for S/390 and zSeries

Support knowledgebase (jreuter_add_rem_dasd)
Applies to

SuSE Linux S/390: Version SLES7,7.2

Request

You want to add or remove DASDs or MDISKs after installation of the SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 7 for S/390 and zSeries or the SuSE Linux 7.2 Developer Edition for S/390 and zSeries.

Procedure

First, add the DASDs or MDISKs to the running system:

echo 'add device range=151' >/proc/dasd/devices

The new disks will get the next letters after the last existing disk, for example if you already have /dev/dasda and /dev/dasdb, the new disk will be known as /dev/dasdc to the Linux system.

Caution:

Be very careful not to accidently add shared disks which are already in use by other VM guests or LPARs

If the disk hasn't been formatted with either CDL (Compatible Disk Label, recommended) or LDL (Linux Disk Label, obsolete), format and partition (if you are using CDL) the disk and create the filesystem of your choice on it.

Mount the new disk with

mount /dev/dasdc1 /mount/point/

(Replace /mount/point with the mount point for the new disk)

To preserve the change over the next IPL, add the MDISK to the 'dasd' statement in /boot/parmfile. If the /boot/parmfile looks like this before the change

dasd=150,200 root=/dev/dasda1 noinitrd

it should become

dasd=150,200,151 root=/dev/dasda1 noinitrd

after adding the device. Be careful to not change the order of device numbers; if you do you have to adjust /etc/fstab to reflect these changes. Otherwise you may render your system unusable.

Next run

zipl
to install the new parmfile. On the next IPL DASD or MDISK 151 will be accessed as /dev/dasdc in our example. If you want to automatically mount the disk on IPL, add the partitions of /dev/dasdc (/dev/dasdc1 and so on) to /etc/fstab.


Keywords: S/390, S390, DASD, MDISK

Categories: S/390

SDB-jreuter_add_rem_dasd, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 13. Feb 2002
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 13. Feb 2002 by jreuter (sdb_gen 1.40.0)