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SAS HP 1/8 Autoloader G2 changer does not appear on the VM's Device manager

Hi All,

I have an ESX 4.1 host and a VM that is running Windows 2008R2 OS.

And a SAS HP 1/8 Autoloader G2 and HP SAS controller is pluged in to host machine.

On the VM's device manager there is a Tape drive but there is no Autoloader changer

What would i do to work ESX 4.1 with HP autoloader?

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16 Replies
ElBosito
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Hi

i have exactly the same problem! I try'd it also with directpath, no way to see the changer with ESXi 4.1

Please help!!

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cbrf1wr
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Me too Same problem. Searching for answer in forum now. If I find the answer I will post it.

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ElBosito
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Sehr geehrter Kunde.

Sie haben versucht, mich per Email zu erreichen.

Ich bin vom 30. August 2010 - 15. September 2010 nicht erreichbar.

Ab Donnerstag, den 16. September 2010, bin ich wieder für Sie da.

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cbrf1wr
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English Please. I searched and found no solution to this issue. Are we the only people trying to get a SAS HP Autoloader working with esx? Seems like this should be a pretty standard configuration everywhere. I see the tape on my 2008 server host, but no autoloader. HP forum had this.

i had a similar issue as this, using a HP Autoloader.

This is how it was solved by a colleague of mine. Assign 2 scsi devices to the vm Guest; one for HP - Tape and one for HP - Media.

once you do this, you should see in your guest both devices. Use the HP Storageworks Library and tepe tools, and see if the software sees in the Guest the correct device.

My Question is how do you assign a scsi device to HP-Media?

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xandor
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I had the same issue. We have an ESX 4.0 U2 installed and linked the attached HP 1/8 autoloader G2 SCSI to a VM as a SCSI device. That worked fine.

After the upgrade to ESX 4.1 the tape link was dead but not the media changer. Smiley Sad

But I found a hint in a forum that fixed the problem:

Connect to the console and this

esxcfg-scsidevs -a

checkout the driver name of the controller where your autoloader is connected. In my case it is the mptspi

esxcli nmp satp addrule --satp VMW_SATP_LOCAL --driver="mptspi" --description="Rule for local path of LSI-Controllers"

After a reboot it's working again. Smiley Happy

BTW: We have another setup where a HP 1/8 G2 autoloader is connected to a SC44Ge controller, this is working fine w/o adding a rule.

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ElBosito
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Sorry that was a autoreply because i was in vacation.

I have a solution an wil write it down today.

Rolf

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ElBosito
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hi all

it works with the SC08Ge SAS Controller from HP. It needs an LSI1068e based controller as mentioned in the vmware HCL!

Its because of LUN masking with SAS ctrlrs it does only work with this kind of chips.

It not supported by HP!

attached you will find a PDF how it looks like with vmware and backup exec 2010

hope that helps

Rolf

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cbrf1wr
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Gave up.

HP official response NO! repeat NO! support for Multi LUN device in Virtual server environment.

I could get vmware to see the device without issue. Just could never get the guest Win 2008 server to see both the tape drive and the library. You could get one or the other, but never both. So if you looking for the solution to this there is NONE send back tthe autoloader of call vmware/hp and complain. Hopefully the next guy will not waste 2 days on this like I did.

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ElBosito
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it works with the SC08Ge SAS Controller from HP. It needs an LSI1068e based controller as mentioned in the vmware HCL!

Its because of LUN masking with SAS ctrlrs it does only work with this kind of chips.

It not supported by HP!

attached you will find a PDF how it looks like with vmware and backup exec 2010

hope that helps

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SvenRuben
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Contributor

following environment: DELL PE2950, DELL SAS 5/E, DELL PV124T-LTO5, VMware ESXi 4.1 embedded (on USB-Stick)

same issue: can only see the tape drive, changer seems to be gone

sollution:

  1. enable the console login

  2. login to console

  3. <esxcfg-scsidevs -a> -> lists the driver mptsas for the DELL SAS 5/E

  4. <esxcli nmp satp addrule --satp VMW_SATP_LOCAL --driver="mptsas" --description="Rule for local path of SAS-5/E Controllers">

  5. logoff from console

  6. reboot the host

Now I can see both, the tape drive and the changer. No Problems adding the two devices to a VM running "MS Windows Server 2008R2" and "Symantec Backup Exec 2010R2".

Hope this helps all the people, that gave up.

special thanks to XANDOR for the command line

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imacnamara
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Contributor

This worked for me on an HP 1/8 G2 Autloader and HP LTO-4 drive. ESXi was not seeing either devices. Once I used Xandor's advice:

"Connect to the console and this

esxcfg-scsidevs -a

checkout the driver name of the controller where your autoloader is connected. In my case it is the mptspi

esxcli nmp satp addrule --satp VMW_SATP_LOCAL --driver="mptspi" --description="Rule for local path of LSI-Controllers"

After a reboot it's working again. Smiley Happy"

ESXi saw the devices and I was able to assign the devices to the VM. This saved many hours of frustration and money to the client and myself.

Thanks Xandor!

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Dicipulofer
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Contributor

Hello,

I'm having the same problem with my tape library. It was working in 4.0, but not working more in 4.1. It's apear in device manager, but not apear media changer.

I'm using a sc44ge... I hear about it not work more in 4.1, cuz it's SAS system...But I'm happy in see this post. It's my hope o work  !

Well, I'm trying do the same command esxcli, but yet not working. I'm doing something wrong ? Listed:

~ # esxcfg-scsidevs -a
vmhba0  ata_piix          link-n/a  sata.vmhba0                             (0:0:31.2) Intel Corporation PowerEdge R410 SATA IDE Controller
vmhba1  ata_piix          link-n/a  sata.vmhba1                             (0:0:31.5) Intel Corporation PowerEdge R410 SATA IDE Controller
vmhba2  mptsas            link-n/a  sas.50026b902f2bb800                    (0:2:0.0) LSI Logic / Symbios Logic Dell SAS 6/iR Integrated
vmhba3  mptsas            link-n/a  sas.500605b001b24de0                    (0:3:0.0) LSI Logic / Symbios Logic SC44Ge Host Bus Adapter
vmhba33 ata_piix          link-n/a  sata.vmhba33                            (0:0:31.2) Intel Corporation PowerEdge R410 SATA IDE Controller
vmhba34 ata_piix          link-n/a  sata.vmhba34                            (0:0:31.5) Intel Corporation PowerEdge R410 SATA IDE Controller
vmhba35 iscsi_vmk         online    iscsi.vmhba35                           iSCSI Software Adapter

esxcli nmp satp addrule --satp VMW_SATP_LOCAL --driver="mptsas" --description="Rule for local path of LSI-Controllers

mptsas ? I'v two mptsas.. how I say to esxcli, I want do on bus adapter ?

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JTCopy9
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Contributor

I have the same issue but am using VMWare Server 2. This is a temporary fix until I can rebuild my server to ESXi 4.2. Does anyone know of a solution for VMWare Server 2?

My backups are down until I can get this resolved.

Please Advise and Thank You In Advance.

JT

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Rayomalo
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Contributor

Hello,  did you find an aswer for it? I have the same situation, I have two adapter with the same driver, I dont want to reboot because the other adapter is the hard drive and i dont want to lose my ESX, it is in a remote site and it's no bady giving support there.

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JTCopy9
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Contributor

No it was never resolved. I had to move it to a physical windows server. My issue was with the controller I was using. It wasnt supported via the device drivers in VMWare Server 2.0.

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Mark1M
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Thank you, this thread saved me a bunch of time. I went ahead and did a step by step for anyone else that may need it. I have attached a PDF with instructions.

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