IBM AIX 7.3 – Common Problem 133 – Diagnosis and Fix

📖 ~1 min read

Table of contents

1. Symptom & Impact
2. Environment & Reproduction
3. Root Cause Analysis
4. Quick Triage
5. Step-by-Step Diagnosis
6. Solution – Primary Fix
7. Solution – Alternative Approaches
8. Verification & Acceptance Criteria
9. Rollback Plan
10. Prevention & Hardening
11. Related Errors & Cross-Refs
12. References & Further Reading

Symptom & Impact

`varyonvg datavg` fails with `0516-008` and `0516-1396` after a SAN reconfiguration.

Environment & Reproduction

AIX 7.3 host where `datavg` PVIDs changed after LUNs were re-presented from a new storage array.

Root Cause Analysis

VGDA on hdisks is out of sync or `lqueryvg` cannot read a quorum of disks.

Quick Triage

Run `lspv`, `lqueryvg -p hdiskN -At`, and `lsvg -p datavg` to compare PVIDs.

Step-by-Step Diagnosis

Inspect `errpt` for `LVM_SA_QUORCLOSE` and capture `lsdev -Cc disk` to confirm hdisk states.

Solution – Primary Fix

Force vary-on with `varyonvg -f datavg` once a quorum of disks is visible.

Solution – Alternative Approaches

Recreate the VG from ODM: `recreatevg -y datavg -L / -Y NA hdiskA hdiskB`.

Verification & Acceptance Criteria

`lsvg -o` lists `datavg` and `lsvg -l datavg` shows all LVs `open/syncd`.

Rollback Plan

`varyoffvg datavg` and re-export with `exportvg datavg` to revert to the previous state.

Prevention & Hardening

Enable quorum or mirror VGDA across two enclosures; document hdisk-to-PVID mapping.

Related Errors & Cross-Refs

Related to `0516-052`, `0516-022` PV not found, and `LVM_BBDIRBAD` errpt items.

Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for aix-7.3.

View all aix-7.3 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →

Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.

References & Further Reading

IBM Docs: `varyonvg`, `recreatevg`, AIX LVM disaster recovery.