# Converting volumes

This chapter discusses converting compatibility volumes to EVMS volumes and converting EVMS volumes to compatibility volumes. For a discussion of the differences between compatibility and EVMS volumes, see .

## When to convert volumes

There are several different scenarios that might help you determine what type of volumes you need. For example, if you wanted persistent names or to make full use of EVMS features, such as Drive Linking or Snapshotting, you would convert your compatibility volumes to EVMS volumes. In another situation, you might decide that a volume needs to be read by a system that understands the underlying volume management scheme. In this case, you would convert your EVMS volume to a compatibility volume.

A volume can only be converted when it is offline. This means the volume must be unmounted and otherwise not in use. The volume must be unmounted because the conversion operation changes both the name and the device number of the volume. Once the volume is converted, you can remount it using its new name.

## Example: convert compatibility volumes to EVMS volumes

A compatibility volume can be converted to an EVMS volume in the following situations:

- The compatibility volume has no file system (FSIM) on it.

- The compatibility volume has a file system, but the file system can be shrunk (if necessary) to make room for the EVMS metadata.

This section provides a detailed explanation of how to convert compatibility volumes to EVMS volumes and provides instructions to help you complete the following task.

> ### Convert a compatibility volume

> You have a compatibility volume `/dev/evms/hda3` that you want to make into an EVMS volume named `my_vol`.

### Using the EVMS GUI

Follow these steps to convert a compatibility volume with the EVMS GUI:

1. Choose Action Convert Compatibility Volume to EVMS .

2. Select `/dev/evms/hda3` from the list of available volumes.

3. Type `my_vol` in the name field.

4. Click the Convert button to convert the volume.

Alternatively, you can perform some of the steps to convert the volume from the GUI context sensitive menu:

1. From the Volumes tab, right click on `/dev/evms/hda3`.

2. Click Convert to EVMS Volume...

3. Continue to convert the volume beginning with step 3 of the GUI instructions.

### Using Ncurses

Follow these instructions to convert a compatibility volume to an EVMS volume with the Ncurses interface:

1. Choose Actions ConvertCompatibility Volume to EVMS Volume

2. Select `/dev/evms/hda3` from the list of available volumes.

3. Type `my_vol` when prompted for the name. Press Enter.

4. Activate Convert.

Alternatively, you can perform some of the steps to convert the volume from the context sensitive menu:

1. From the Volumes view, press Enter on `/dev/evms/hda3`.

2. Activate the Convert to EVMS Volume menu item.

3. Continue to convert the volume beginning with step 3 of the Ncurses instructions.

### Using the CLI

To convert a volume, use the `Convert` command. The `Convert` command takes the name of a volume as its first argument, and then `name=` for what you want to name the new volume as the second argument. To complete the example and convert a volume, type the following command at the EVMS: prompt:

    convert: /dev/evms/hda3, Name=my_vol

## Example: convert EVMS volumes to compatibility volumes

An EVMS volume can be converted to a compatibility volume only if the volume does not have EVMS features on it. This section provides a detailed explanation of how to convert EVMS volumes to compatibility volumes by providing instructions to help you complete the following task.

> ### Convert an EVMS volume

> You have an EVMS volume, `/dev/evms/my_vol`, that you want to make a compatibility volume.

### Using the EVMS GUI

Follow these instructions to convert an EVMS volume to a compatibility volume with the EVMS GUI:

1. Choose Action Convert EVMS Volume to Compatibility Volume .

2. Select `/dev/evms/my_vol` from the list of available volumes.

3. Click the Convert button to convert the volume.

Alternatively, you can perform some of the steps to convert the volume through the GUI context sensitive menu:

1. From the Volumes tab, right click `/dev/evms/my_vol`.

2. Click Convert to Compatibility Volume...

3. Continue converting the volume beginning with step 3 of the GUI instructions.

### Using Ncurses

Follow these instructions to convert an EVMS volume to a compatibility volume with the Ncurses interface:

1. Choose Actions ConvertEVMS Volume to Compatibility Volume

2. Select `/dev/evms/my_vol` from the list of available volumes.

3. Activate Convert.

Alternatively, you can perform some of the steps to convert the volume through the context sensitive menu:

1. From the Volumes view, press Enter on `/dev/evms/my_vol`.

2. Activate the Convert to Compatibility Volume menu item.

3. Continue to convert the volume beginning with step 3 of the Ncurses instructions.

### Using the CLI

To convert a volume use the `Convert` command. The `Convert` command takes the name of a volume as its first argument, and the keyword `compatibility` to indicate a change to a compatibility volume as the second argument. To complete the example and convert a volume, type the following command at the EVMS: prompt:

    convert: /dev/evms/my_vol, compatibility