{
  "slug": "logical-volume",
  "term": "Logical volume",
  "aliases": [
    "LV"
  ],
  "definition": "A logical volume is a virtual block device whose address space is mapped to backing storage by a volume-management system.",
  "note": "An application-facing logical volume provides block addresses, not a file hierarchy. A filesystem, database or other application can use that device. In LVM2, PVs contribute extents to a VG, which supplies LVs. Special thin-pool and cache-pool LVs represent pools and cannot be used as ordinary block devices. [c1] [lvcreate]\n\nA thin LV's reported size is its exposed address range, which can exceed currently allocated backing space. It is separate from VG free extents, thin-pool headroom and filesystem free space. [c2]\n\nGrowing an LV alone does not grow its filesystem. For ext2/3/4, resize2fs can shrink an unmounted filesystem and can expand a mounted one when supported. A coordinated tool may perform both layer changes, but support for one does not establish support for the other. [c3]",
  "status": "shipping",
  "advantages": [],
  "limitations": [],
  "related": [
    "volume-manager",
    "lvm",
    "storage-virtualization",
    "block-storage",
    "thin-provisioning",
    "thin-pool",
    "physical-volume",
    "volume-group"
  ],
  "supersedes": [],
  "supersededBy": [],
  "firstSeen": null,
  "lastSeen": null,
  "citations": [
    {
      "id": "c1",
      "title": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: configuring and managing logical volumes",
      "url": "https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_linux/10/html/configuring_and_managing_logical_volumes/index",
      "accessed": "2026-10-19"
    },
    {
      "id": "c2",
      "title": "Linux kernel: device-mapper thin provisioning and shared backing storage",
      "url": "https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/device-mapper/thin-provisioning.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-19"
    },
    {
      "id": "c3",
      "title": "e2fsprogs resize2fs(8): filesystem growth and shrink support",
      "url": "https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/resize2fs.8.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-19"
    },
    {
      "id": "lvcreate",
      "title": "LVM2 lvcreate(8): ordinary block volumes and special pool LV types",
      "url": "https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/lvcreate.8.html",
      "accessed": "2026-10-20"
    }
  ],
  "updated": "2026-10-20"
}