Creating a virtual disk for a VIOS logical partition by using the HMC

You can use the Hardware Management Console (HMC) to create a virtual disk on your managed system. Virtual disks are also known as logical volumes.

About this task

To modify virtual storage, be sure you meet the following requirements:
  • The HMC must be at version 7.7.4, or later.
  • The Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) must be at version 2.2.1.0, or later.
  • Ensure that there is a resource monitoring and control connection between the HMC and the VIOS to manage storage.
To create a virtual disk by using the HMC Version 10.1.1020, or earlier, complete the following steps:
  1. In the navigation pane, click Resources.
  2. Click All Systems. The All Systems page is displayed.
  3. In the PowerVM area, click Virtual Storage. The Virtual Storage page lists the VIOS partitions, in the Virtual Storage Management tab.
  4. Select a VIOS and click Action > Manage Virtual Storage.
  5. In the Virtual Storage Management page, click the Virtual Disks tab and click Create Virtual Disk.
  6. Enter a virtual disk name, select a storage pool or a shared storage pool, and enter the size for the new virtual disk. If you select a shared storage pool, also specify whether you want to use thick or thin storage. By default, the storage type is thin storage. You can optionally assign the disk to a logical partition.
  7. Click OK. The HMC creates the new virtual disk with your specifications, and the Virtual Disks page is displayed.
    Tip: If possible, do not create virtual disks within the rootvg storage pool. Create one or more additional storage pools and create the virtual disks using the additional storage pools.
  8. Repeat this procedure for each virtual disk that you want to create.
  9. To view or change the properties of virtual disks that you created, see Changing a virtual disk for a VIOS logical partition by using the HMC.
To create a virtual disk by using the HMC Version 10.2.1030, or later, complete the following steps:
  1. In the navigation pane, click System resources.
  2. Click Systems. The Systems page is displayed.
  3. In the navigation pane, click Virtual Storage. The Virtual Storage page lists the VIOS partitions, in the Virtual Storage Management tab.
  4. Select a VIOS and click Action > Manage Virtual Storage.
  5. In the Virtual Storage Management page, click the Virtual Disks tab and click Create Virtual Disk.
  6. Enter a virtual disk name, select a storage pool or a shared storage pool, and enter the size for the new virtual disk. If you select a shared storage pool, also specify whether you want to use thick or thin storage. By default, the storage type is thin storage. You can optionally assign the disk to a logical partition.
  7. Click OK. The HMC creates the new virtual disk with your specifications, and the Virtual Disks page is displayed.
    Tip: If possible, do not create virtual disks within the rootvg storage pool. Create one or more additional storage pools and create the virtual disks using the additional storage pools.
  8. Repeat this procedure for each virtual disk that you want to create.
  9. To view or change the properties of virtual disks that you created, see Changing a virtual disk for a VIOS logical partition by using the HMC.

What to do next

These steps are equivalent to using the mkbdsp command in the command-line interface.

If there is not enough disk space for the virtual disk, increase the size of the storage pool. For instructions, see Changing a storage pool for a VIOS logical partition by using the HMC