Manage logical volumes with GUI tools

Fair Serving

blivet-gui

As of Fedora 25, blivet-gui [5] replaces the previously used LVM as the default program for managing LVM installations. Earlier versions of blivet-gui are available in the repositories for the older versions of Fedora. The software is available from a separate PPA [5] for Ubuntu and its derivatives. Blivet-gui requires the Python blivet module, which uses Anaconda, the default installer on Fedora and Red Hat. The tool is visually based on GParted [6]. The functions are also similar to those of GParted: Before blivet-gui makes changes to the mass storage system, it collects them in a queue and then presents them to you for the OK to go ahead.

After a successful installation, a launcher can be found in the System submenu. As with LVM GUI, you call blivet-gui with administrator rights; after a short system scan, you are taken to a three-part interface (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Blivet-gui is visually reminiscent of GParted, but without the menubar.

Unlike its role model GParted, blivet-gui does not provide a menubar. You can control the program completely with the buttons at the top right in the program window and in the appropriate right-click context menus.

Interface

The left window segment shows a vertical list view of the physical and logical volumes in the system. The logical volumes are under Disks , and the block devices fall under LVM . The program window visualizes volumes as a horizontal bar, depending on the view selected on the left. Blivet users can switch the respective view using the Logical View and Physical View tabs (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Blivet-gui very clearly shows physical and logical volumes, giving admins an overview of the logical volumes spanning multiple physical volumes.

Below the horizontal bar under Logical View , the individual volumes, including their relevant information, are arranged in a table; the view also includes the filesystem. Unlike LVM GUI, the number and size of physical extents are not shown here. If you switch over to the Physical View , no information appears below the bar display. This form of the view is particularly useful for a quick overview of logical volumes spanning multiple physical volumes in the system.

Actions

The blivet user performs individual configuration steps through context menus by right-clicking on a volume in the table view below the bar display. For example, you can select a physical volume that belongs to a volume group, but is still missing a logical volume, and set it up with a filesystem by clicking on New in the context menu.

Blivet-gui partly supports other filesystems that LVM GUI does not, including, for example, ReiserFS, which is no longer under development, and GFS2 [7], designed primarily for large clusters under Linux. With the slide control, you can set the size of the logical volume, or you can enter a value directly. Clicking OK integrates the new logical drive and makes it ready for operation (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Blivet users can create a new logical drive with just a few clicks and the slide control.

To modify existing logical volumes, select Edit | Format from the context menu of the corresponding volume. You can delete a volume with Delete . The changes do not go into effect until you confirm them.

For this purpose, clicking the small button with a check mark at top right in the program window displays the pending operations in a separate window, but blivet only performs these actions after you press OK .

If you subsequently add new physical volumes to the system, you can first integrate them with an existing logical volume by selecting Edit | Modify parents in the context menu. You can adjust the size of the entire volume with Edit | Resize . To perform the jobs placed in a queue, click the Apply icon at top right to reconfigure the system.

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy ADMIN Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Managing Storage with LVM

    Managing Linux storage servers with the Linux Logical Volume Manager.

  • Software RAID in Windows, macOS, and Linux
    If RAID hardware is missing on your server, Windows, Linux, and macOS offer various options for building software RAID.
  • Fedora 18 for Admins

    Fedora is a trend-setting distribution that sets the pace for future developments of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Administrators, regardless of whether they use Fedora, are well advised to look at the newest innovations of the Fedora distribution.

  • Storage cluster management with LINSTOR
    LINSTOR is a toolkit for automated cluster management that takes the complexity out of DRBD management and offers a wide range of functions, including provisioning and snapshots.
  • Fedora 18 as a server distribution
    Fedora is a trend-setting distribution that sets the pace for future developments of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Administrators, regardless of whether they use Fedora, are well advised to look at the newest innovations of the Fedora distribution.
comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs



Support Our Work

ADMIN content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More”>
	</a>

<hr>		    
			</div>
		    		</div>

		<div class=