Adding disks while the system remains available

The following procedure describes how to turn on and configure a disk using the hot-removability feature, which lets you add disks without powering off the system.

You can add a disk for additional storage or to correct a disk failure. This feature is only available on certain systems.

  1. Install the disk in a free slot of the cabinet. For detailed information about the installation procedure, see the service guide for your machine.
  2. Power on the new disk by typing the following fast path on the command line:
    smit ondsk
At this point, the disk is added to the system but it is not yet usable. What you do next depends on whether the new disk contains data.
  • If the disk has no data, add it as a physical volume to a volume group using one of the following:
    • To add the disk to an existing volume group, type the following fast path on the command line:
      smit extendvg
    • To add the disk to a new volume group, type the following fast path on the command line:
      smit mkvg
  • If the disk contains data, import the data.