I an not suggesting that you use LVM to expand a partition, but it is
much easier to move a partition to a new and larger disk/array when
it's on an LVM.

Put another way

1.  Add the new disk/array
2.  run pvcreate on it
3.  vgextend the old VG to include the new disk/array
4.  pvmove from the old array to the new array
5.  vgreduce the old PV from the VG
6.  resize the file system.

Hardware willing, you don't even have to reboot or take backuppc offline.

As far as BackupPC goes, I do not believe that speed is life.  I
believe that reliability and flexibility is life.  This isn't a
database server here.  Pick a good fast reliable RAID array (I like
RAID 10 with a hot spare) and have at it.

Shawn

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 2:38 PM, Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom
<chrome AT real-time DOT com> wrote:
> On 12/07 03:18 , Les Mikesell wrote:
>> Shawn Perry wrote:
>> > Tar works pretty good too, and it's quite a bit faster.
>> >
>> > To be honest though, BackupPC's data directory should ALWAYS be on an
>> > LVM as it makes moving it SO much easier.
>>
>> What's easier with LVM in the usual case where you want to go to a
>> bigger physical disk or md device and both new and old instances will
>> have one partition taking all of the space?
>
> I tend to agree with Les.
> I used to set up BackupPC servers on LVM; and then realized:
>
> - it's more trouble when trying to recover data from a corrupt fs/dead
>  machine
> - there is a performance hit, and BackupPC needs all the performance it can
>  get
> - we usually don't expand onto other disks in the array; normally when it's
>  time to upgrade we move to a new machine anyway. So LVM isn't as useful in
>  the case where it's supposed to help.
>
> I'm not opposed to it; just keep in mind how likely you are to actually use
> it, and what the drawbacks are.
>
> --
> Carl Soderstrom
> Systems Administrator
> Real-Time Enterprises
> www.real-time.com
>
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