Error Message

# vxdg -g testdg rmdisk testdg01
VxVM vxdg ERROR V-5-1-553 Disk testdg01 is used by one or more subdisks

This message appears if a stale subdisk object is still present in the diskgroup configuration. 

Confirm this by comparing the number of subdisks reported by "vxprint -S" and "vxprint -ht."

For example:

# vxprint -S

Disk group: testdg

VOLUMES PLEXES SUBDISKS PLEXFREE SDFREE DISKS RVGS RLINKS STPOOLS VSET CACHES EXPORTS
1 1 4 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0

# vxprint -htg testdg

dg testdg default default 19000 1319482676.389.vcst1n3

dm testdg01 c1t2d140s2 auto 65536 104689408
dm testdg02 c1t2d141s2 auto 65536 104689408 -
dm testdg03 c1t2d142s2 auto 65536 104689408 -
dm testdg04 c1t2d145s2 auto 65536 104689408 -

v testfs - DISABLED ACTIVE 240683904 SELECT - fsgen
pl testfs-01 testfs DISABLED ACTIVE 240683904 CONCAT - RW
sd testdg04-01 testfs-01 testdg04 0 31306240 0 c1t2d145 ENA
sd testdg02-01 testfs-01 testdg02 0 104689408 31306240 c1t2d141 ENA
sd testdg03-01 testfs-01 testdg03 0 104688256 135995648 c1t2d142 ENA

Notice that "vxprint -S" shows more subdisks than "vxprint -ht."

Follow these steps to remove the stale subdisk from the configuration.

If the name of the subdisk is unknown and cannot be surmised, a diskgroup configuration backup may be reviewed. Steps for reviewing an existing disk configuration backup, can be found here:
https://www.veritas.com/docs/000087566

In this example, the subdisk was testdg01-01.

Use vxedit to remove the subdisk.

For example:

# vxedit -g testdg -rf rm testdg01-01

It should now be possible to remove the disk from the diskgroup.

# vxdg -g testdg rmdisk testdg01

#vxprint -qhtg testdg

dg testdg default default 19000 1319482676.389.vcst1n3

dm testdg02 c1t2d141s2 auto 65536 104689408 -
dm testdg03 c1t2d142s2 auto 65536 104689408 -
dm testdg04 c1t2d145s2 auto 65536 104689408 -

v testfs - DISABLED ACTIVE 240683904 SELECT - fsgen
pl testfs-01 testfs DISABLED ACTIVE 240683904 CONCAT - RW
sd testdg04-01 testfs-01 testdg04 0 31306240 0 c1t2d145 ENA
sd testdg02-01 testfs-01 testdg02 0 104689408 31306240 c1t2d141 ENA
sd testdg03-01 testfs-01 testdg03 0 104688256 135995648 c1t2d142 ENA

Succesfully removed the disk testdg01 from the DiskGroup testdg.