This guide will walk you through safely increasing the size of an attached OVH disk (typically /dev/sda or /home) by resizing the filesystem after extending the volume.
⚠️ Important Notes Before You Begin
- Ensure you have a backup before performing disk operations.
- This guide assumes the OVH volume is formatted with EXT4.
- You will need root access.
🔧 Step 1: Comment Out /home in /etc/fstab
To avoid mounting errors during resizing, temporarily disable auto-mount of /home:
Edit /etc/fstab:
nano /etc/fstabFind the line like:
UUID=3417e176-6f5a-4cef-9641-27668b37e3ed /home ext4 errors=remount-ro,discard,usrjquota=quota.user,jqfmt=vfsv0 1 1Comment it out by adding #:
#UUID=3417e176-6f5a-4cef-9641-27668b37e3ed /home ext4 errors=remount-ro,discard,usrjquota=quota.user,jqfmt=vfsv0 1 1🔍 Step 2: Run Filesystem Check
Before resizing, perform a forced check:
e2fsck -f /dev/sdaSample output:
e2fsck 1.42.9 (28-Dec-2013)
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Pass 5: Checking group summary information
/dev/sda: 2080946/100859904 files (0.1% non-contiguous), 370974139/403439616 blocks📏 Step 3: Resize the Filesystem
Once the check passes, resize the partition:
resize2fs /dev/sdaSample output:
resize2fs 1.42.9 (28-Dec-2013)
Resizing the filesystem on /dev/sda to 537395200 (4k) blocks.
The filesystem on /dev/sda is now 537395200 blocks long.🔁 Step 4: Reboot the Server
Reboot to reload partition table changes:
reboot✅ Step 5: Verify Increased Disk Space
After reboot, verify:
df -hEnsure the size reflects the expanded capacity.
🧩 Optional: Mount /home Again (if required)
If you previously commented out /home, and it’s on a separate partition:
- Uncomment the
/homeentry in/etc/fstab. - Mount it manually:
mount /home📝 Summary
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Edit fstab | nano /etc/fstab |
| Run filesystem check | e2fsck -f /dev/sda |
| Resize filesystem | resize2fs /dev/sda |
| Reboot system | reboot |
| Check disk size | df -h |
| (Optional) Mount /home | mount /home |
Here is the XFS version of the guide to increase disk size on OVH attached storage:
📦 Increase Disk Size on OVH Attached Storage (XFS Filesystem)
If your server uses an XFS-formatted filesystem (common on AlmaLinux, CentOS 7+, Rocky Linux, CloudLinux 9, etc.), follow this guide to safely expand your disk space after OVH resizes the attached volume.
⚠️ Requirements
- Root SSH access to your server.
- Disk resized in OVH control panel.
- XFS filesystem in use (check with
df -T). - No LVM setup (guide assumes direct block device like
/dev/sdbis mounted to/home).
📝 Step 1: Comment Out /home in /etc/fstab (If Applicable)
If /home is a separate mount point, comment it out before resizing:
nano /etc/fstabChange this line:
UUID=3417e176-6f5a-4cef-9641-27668b37e3ed /home xfs defaults 0 0To:
#UUID=3417e176-6f5a-4cef-9641-27668b37e3ed /home xfs defaults 0 0Save and close.
🧹 Step 2: Unmount the Partition (If Mounted)
Run the following to unmount /home:
umount /homeIf it’s busy, use:
fuser -vm /homeThen stop the processes using the partition.
🔎 Step 3: Check the Partition (Optional for XFS)
Unlike ext4, XFS does not require pre-check (xfs_repair is only needed in case of actual corruption).
You can still check with:
xfs_info /dev/sdbAdjust /dev/sdb to your actual device name.
📏 Step 4: Grow the Filesystem
Use xfs_growfs to expand the mounted XFS volume.
- First remount
/home(or target mount point) temporarily:
mount /dev/sdb /home- Then resize it:
xfs_growfs /homeSample output:
meta-data=/dev/sdb isize=512 agcount=4, agsize=32768000 blks
...
data blocks changed from 131072000 to 167772160🔁 Step 5: Restore /etc/fstab (if needed)
Uncomment the /home entry in /etc/fstab:
nano /etc/fstabRemove the # in front of the line for /home.
🔄 Step 6: Reboot (Optional)
Reboot to ensure everything mounts correctly:
reboot✅ Step 7: Verify Disk Size
After reboot or resizing:
df -hTConfirm the increased size on /home or /.
📝 Summary
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Unmount /home (if mounted) | umount /home |
| Remount /home | mount /dev/sdb /home |
| Resize XFS partition | xfs_growfs /home |
| View new size | df -hT |
| Optional: Edit fstab | nano /etc/fstab |
Here’s a complete guide for increasing disk size on OVH attached storage using LVM and XFS, commonly used on modern cPanel and enterprise servers:
📦 Increase Disk Size on OVH Attached Storage (LVM + XFS)
This guide assumes the extra OVH disk is attached, detected as a physical device (like /dev/sdb), and part of a Logical Volume (LVM) formatted with XFS (e.g., mounted at /home).
⚠️ Prerequisites
- ✅ Root SSH access
- ✅ Disk added via OVH control panel
- ✅ XFS filesystem in use (
df -T) - ✅ Volume managed by LVM (
lsblk,vgs,lvs) - ✅ Backups made before continuing!
🧭 Step 1: Identify Devices and Volumes
Check disk layout:
lsblkTypical output:
sda 8:0 0 100G 0 disk
├─sda1 8:1 0 100G 0 part
│ └─centos-root
sdb 8:16 0 500G 0 diskYou want to work with /dev/sdb.
💽 Step 2: Create a New Physical Volume
Format the new disk as a physical volume:
pvcreate /dev/sdb📚 Step 3: Extend the Volume Group
Add the new physical volume to your existing Volume Group (e.g., centos):
vgextend centos /dev/sdbVerify:
vgs📦 Step 4: Extend the Logical Volume
Let’s assume /home is mounted from a logical volume like /dev/centos/home. You can confirm:
df -hT /home
lvdisplayNow extend it using all free space:
lvextend -l +100%FREE /dev/centos/home📏 Step 5: Grow the XFS Filesystem
Finally, resize the filesystem:
xfs_growfs /homeOutput should confirm new size applied.
✅ Step 6: Verify the Result
Check disk usage and confirm /home is larger:
df -hT /homeYou can also check the logical volume:
lvdisplay /dev/centos/home📝 Full Command Summary
lsblk
pvcreate /dev/sdb
vgextend centos /dev/sdb
lvextend -l +100%FREE /dev/centos/home
xfs_growfs /home
df -hT /home📌 Notes
- Replace
centosand/dev/centos/homewith your actual VG and LV names if different. - If you use
ext4, replacexfs_growfswithresize2fs.