+
+How snapshot-merge is used by LVM2
+==================================
+A merging snapshot assumes the role of the "snapshot-origin" while
+merging. As such the "snapshot-origin" is replaced with
+"snapshot-merge". The "-real" device is not changed and the "-cow"
+device is renamed to <origin name>-cow to aid LVM2's cleanup of the
+merging snapshot after it completes. The "snapshot" that hands over its
+COW device to the "snapshot-merge" is deactivated (unless using lvchange
+--refresh); but if it is left active it will simply return I/O errors.
+
+A snapshot will merge into its origin with the following command:
+
+lvconvert --merge volumeGroup/snap
+
+we'll now have this situation:
+
+# dmsetup table|grep volumeGroup
+
+volumeGroup-base-real: 0 2097152 linear 8:19 384
+volumeGroup-base-cow: 0 204800 linear 8:19 2097536
+volumeGroup-base: 0 2097152 snapshot-merge 254:11 254:12 P 16
+
+# ls -lL /dev/mapper/volumeGroup-*
+brw------- 1 root root 254, 11 29 ago 18:15 /dev/mapper/volumeGroup-base-real
+brw------- 1 root root 254, 12 29 ago 18:16 /dev/mapper/volumeGroup-base-cow
+brw------- 1 root root 254, 10 29 ago 18:16 /dev/mapper/volumeGroup-base