pvscan

pvscan is a command-line utility used in Linux environments that are utilizing the Logical Volume Manager (LVM). Its primary function is to scan for and identify physical volumes (PVs) that are available for use by LVM. Physical volumes are typically hard disk drives, partitions, or other block devices that LVM will manage.

When pvscan is executed, it probes the system's storage devices for LVM metadata. If it finds devices that are marked as LVM physical volumes, it reports them to the user. This is often done as a preliminary step before creating volume groups (VGs) or logical volumes (LVs). The output of pvscan typically lists the device name and its associated UUID.

The command can be run with various options to modify its behavior. For instance, it can be used to scan specific devices or to perform a more thorough scan. In a typical LVM setup, pvscan is used to ensure that the system recognizes the underlying storage that will be used for flexible disk management. It plays a crucial role in the initial configuration and ongoing management of LVM storage.