Prior to creating a DCE LFS aggregate, use the newaggr command to initialize the raw partition on which the aggregate is to reside by formatting it for use as a DCE LFS aggregate. The newaggr command creates the metadata structure used by the DCE LFS for ACL support, logging, multiple fileset storage, and other fileset-related operations. It also allocates temporary space for use by the DCE LFS log for faster restarts after system failures. The DCE LFS log is not a file; it is a structure that resides on an aggregate. If the system fails, the logged metadata that was written to disk is replayed at system restart to return the system to a consistent state.
Because the newaggr command overwrites all data on the partition being initialized, the partition being initialized should not contain data you want to save when the command is issued. Also, the command fails if the partition or aggregate being initialized is currently exported to the DCE namespace. It also fails if the aggregate to be initialized houses a locally mounted fileset. Finally, if the partition is mounted locally, the newaggr command causes the kernel to panic. (Note that a non-LFS partition must be mounted locally before it can be exported.)
If you are uncertain about which arguments to supply with the newaggr command, execute the command with the -noaction option. This option directs the command to report on what it would do without actually modifying the partition. When using the -noaction option, supply the other options as you would when actually executing the command.
Note that DCE LFS reserves a variable amount of disk space on every DCE LFS aggregate. By default, DCE LFS reserves 2 megabytes of disk space on an aggregate, but it never reserves less than 1% or more than 10% of the total size of an aggregate (for example, it reserves only 1.5 megabytes on an aggregate whose total size is only 15 megabytes). DCE LFS reserves the disk space for internal purposes (for example, to avoid potential problems with routine administrative operations such as fileset moves and clones). The reserved space is not directly accessible to users and administrators.
In operating systems that support logical volumes, the newaggr command can be used to initialize a logical volume as a DCE LFS aggregate. In such cases, all of the command's functionality described here with respect to a disk partition applies to the logical volume.