Device /dev/sdb1 not found (or ignored by filtering)

Question

I am trying to add a physical volume for use to add volume groups and thus LV inside them. Sadly I am getting the following error.

[root@server ~]# pvcreate /dev/sdb1
Device /dev/sdb1 not found (or ignored by filtering).

[root@server ~]# fdisk -l /dev/sdb

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sdb'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sdb: 19966.2 GB, 19966213488640 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2427420 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1      267350  2147483647+  ee  GPT

I would appreciate any help you could give. This would be my first time having to add a pv and when researching the issue I didn't come across anything that was of much help.

OS is centos 6 - 64bit

Filters

# By default we accept every block device:
filter = [ "a/.*/" ]

# Exclude the cdrom drive
# filter = [ "r|/dev/cdrom|" ]

# When testing I like to work with just loopback devices:
# filter = [ "a/loop/", "r/.*/" ]

# Or maybe all loops and ide drives except hdc:
# filter =[ "a|loop|", "r|/dev/hdc|", "a|/dev/ide|", "r|.*|" ]

# Use anchors if you want to be really specific
# filter = [ "a|^/dev/hda8$|", "r/.*/" ]

Parted:

parted /dev/sdb "unit s" "print"
Model: Adaptec AdaptecRAID5 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 38996510720s
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Answer 1

The partition type in the MBR is set to "ee" meaning that there should be a GPT partition table on the disk, but as parted shows, there isn't a GPT table at all.

You need to either:
a) use parted to make a GPT partition, and use that partition as the PV
b) remove the partition table from the MBR altogether and just use block device /dev/sdb as the PV

Answer 2

I found that I either needed to reboot the server or run 'partprobe /dev/sdaX' in order for pvcreate to be properly informed of the partition.

Also, fdisk is not lvm aware so it was handing out errors about partitions making me think there was a bigger problem when that was simply not the case.

Answer 3

The block device type could also be a problem. If you run pvcreate with -vvvv and you see an error like "Skipping: Unrecognised LVM device type 251", then you have to add the magic number to the allowed devices list.

Just look up the device type for the number in /proc/devices and add it to the devices section of the lvm config /etc/lvm/lvm.conf, for example:

types = [ "bcache", 251 ]

That's it, you can now use pvcreate as expected.

Answer 4

Please run the below command before pvcreate

partprobe
partprobe /dev/sdb

Then run your command

pvcreate /dev/sdb1

Note : Sometimes you need to update your kernel manually. Thats why the above command required.

Answer 5

Your parted output shows that you don't have any partitions, thus /dev/sdb1 doesn't exist. You need to create the partition first.