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9 Replies Last post: May 8, 2009 5:42 AM by jaygriffin  

Missing local SCSI VMFS partition posted: May 1, 2009 8:02 AM

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jaygriffin
165 posts since
May 3, 2006

One of my local VMFS partitions has disappeared. Under Configuration / Storage Adapters, I see the SCSI target listed, but it is not listed under Configuration / Storage. Stil not there if i refresh or Add storage.

esxcfg-vmhbadevs -a

vmhba0:0:0 /dev/cciss/c0d0 <-- Here it is
vmhba0:1:0 /dev/cciss/c0d1
vmhba32:0:1 /dev/sda
vmhba32:0:2 /dev/sdb
vmhba32:0:3 /dev/sdc
vmhba32:0:4 /dev/sdd
vmhba32:0:10 /dev/sde
vmhba32:0:12 /dev/sdf
vmhba32:0:13 /dev/sdg
vmhba32:0:14 /dev/sdh
vmhba32:0:15 /dev/sdi
vmhba32:0:16 /dev/sdj
vmhba32:0:17 /dev/sdk
vmhba32:0:20 /dev/sdl
vmhba32:0:21 /dev/sdm
vmhba32:0:22 /dev/sdn
vmhba32:0:23 /dev/sdo
vmhba32:0:29 /dev/sdp
vmhba32:0:40 /dev/sdq
vmhba32:0:42 /dev/sdr
vmhba32:0:43 /dev/sds
vmhba32:0:44 /dev/sdt
vmhba32:0:50 /dev/sdu
vmhba32:0:52 /dev/sdv
vmhba32:0:53 /dev/sdw
vmhba32:0:54 /dev/sdx
vmhba32:1:1 /dev/sdy

Not mapped:

root@besx4 LVM# esxcfg-vmhbadevs -m
vmhba32:0:12:1 /dev/sdf1 48072795-458bc2d7-3f0f-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:2:1 /dev/sdb1 48c8c308-a964be0b-5426-0017087e918c
vmhba32:0:1:1 /dev/sda1 48c8c2d3-d6345b00-d322-0017087e918c
vmhba32:0:29:1 /dev/sdp1 48875a7d-26f70e96-7e71-0017087e918c
vmhba32:0:22:1 /dev/sdn1 4921b65d-c82f3c03-3f17-0017087d682a
vmhba32:0:17:1 /dev/sdk1 49218938-e41d91ee-d595-0017087d682a
vmhba32:0:16:1 /dev/sdj1 48069d8c-6653901d-d21c-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:15:1 /dev/sdi1 48069d57-1b347da7-8591-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:13:1 /dev/sdg1 48069cb4-4224656c-1511-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:10:1 /dev/sde1 48069e22-0e104eb2-a7db-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:4:1 /dev/sdd1 45f70cc8-7f5fbeaa-3917-0018fe72d62a
vmhba32:1:1:1 /dev/sdy1 49eb72f1-c7a0a999-a5b7-0017087e918c
vmhba32:0:54:1 /dev/sdx1 4808bfe7-c85eedb4-615e-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:53:1 /dev/sdw1 4808bfc2-5426d08b-7527-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:52:1 /dev/sdv1 4808bfff-ba040cc6-6d79-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:50:1 /dev/sdu1 48069ef1-b8200e62-3fca-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:44:1 /dev/sdt1 4808bf2f-74473b92-a004-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:43:1 /dev/sds1 4808bf06-cfa56340-43ef-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:42:1 /dev/sdr1 4808bf52-f79c8146-81e4-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:40:1 /dev/sdq1 48069ea3-74eb744a-0477-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:23:1 /dev/sdo1 4808c018-77bc83d3-fee6-0017087e8b74
vmhba32:0:20:1 /dev/sdl1 4921cd27-cb0360eb-9516-0017087d682a
vmhba32:0:14:1 /dev/sdh1 48069cc7-ec4fe55a-2dcc-0017087e8b74
vmhba0:1:0:1 /dev/cciss/c0d1p1 46937d66-3bf9e44c-ac4f-001b78465470

There is nothing on the partition, so I don' t mind just to wipe it out. But I would like to get it remounted so I could use it.

Ideas on how I can recover it?

Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

1. May 1, 2009 12:04 PM in response to: jaygriffin
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SuryaVMware
489 posts since
Nov 14, 2008

Can you give me the fdisk -lu /dev/cciss/c0d0 output?

-Surya

Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

2. May 1, 2009 12:12 PM in response to: SuryaVMware
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jaygriffin
165 posts since
May 3, 2006

root@besx4 root# fdisk -lu /dev/cciss/c0d0

Disk /dev/cciss/c0d0: 73.3 GB, 73372631040 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8920 cylinders, total 143305920 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/cciss/c0d0p1 * 63 208844 104391 83 Linux
/dev/cciss/c0d0p2 208845 10442249 5116702+ 83 Linux
/dev/cciss/c0d0p4 137901960 143299799 2698920 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/cciss/c0d0p5 137902023 139010444 554211 82 Linux swap
/dev/cciss/c0d0p6 139010508 143090954 2040223+ 83 Linux
/dev/cciss/c0d0p7 143091018 143299799 104391 fc Unknown

Hmmm... p3 is missing.

From an identical server:

root@besx3 root# fdisk -lu /dev/cciss/c0d0

Disk /dev/cciss/c0d0: 73.3 GB, 73372631040 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8920 cylinders, total 143305920 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/cciss/c0d0p1 * 63 208844 104391 83 Linux
/dev/cciss/c0d0p2 208845 10442249 5116702+ 83 Linux
/dev/cciss/c0d0p3 10442250 137901959 63729855 fb Unknown
/dev/cciss/c0d0p4 137901960 143299799 2698920 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/cciss/c0d0p5 137902023 139010444 554211 82 Linux swap
/dev/cciss/c0d0p6 139010508 143090954 2040223+ 83 Linux
/dev/cciss/c0d0p7 143091018 143299799 104391 fc Unknown


Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

3. May 1, 2009 12:18 PM in response to: jaygriffin
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SuryaVMware
489 posts since
Nov 14, 2008

That's lot easy than I thought :)

Just follow the steps below.

1) fdisk -u /dev/cciss/c0d0

2) select 'n' to create a new partition

3) select 'p' for primary type of partition.

4) start at 10442250 and end at 137901959

5) set the parittion type to 'fb'

6) select 'w' to write and quit

7) run vmkfstools -V

You should see your VMFS volume back in it's place. Let me know how it goes.

-Surya

Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

4. May 1, 2009 12:29 PM in response to: SuryaVMware
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jaygriffin
165 posts since
May 3, 2006

I guess I need to reboot before I see it. ??

Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-7): 3
Hex code (type L to list codes): fb
Changed system type of partition 3 to fb (Unknown)

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.

WARNING: Re-reading the partition table failed with error 16: Device or resource busy.
The kernel still uses the old table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot.
Syncing disks.


Thanks for your help. I will reboot and see if it shows up.

Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

5. May 1, 2009 12:37 PM in response to: jaygriffin
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SuryaVMware
489 posts since
Nov 14, 2008

Yeah, that could happend if you are running ESX server. Considering the fact that the local drive is shared between both the VMNIX Kernel and the VMKernel, the partition table is locked up for any changes while the console Kernel is still accessing it.

Let me know if the reboot helped fixing the issue. If it didn't you can boot in to recovery mode and fix the partition table and then boot in to the regular ESX mode.

-Surya

Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

6. May 7, 2009 3:05 AM in response to: SuryaVMware
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jaygriffin
165 posts since
May 3, 2006

I was able to reboot and the storage is still now showing. I tried to add storage and it is not showing as available. I did the fdisk -u /dev/cciss/c0d0 and "p" -- the partition table looks correct. When I compare to a system that has the same setup it looks the same. The storage is just now showing.

I tried again to delete the partition and re-create it. I still get this error when writing.

The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.

WARNING: Re-reading the partition table failed with error 16: Device or resource busy.
The kernel still uses the old table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot.
Syncing disks.
root@besx4 root#

Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

7. May 7, 2009 9:42 AM in response to: jaygriffin
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jaygriffin
165 posts since
May 3, 2006

Got it: KB1001489 http://kb.vmware.com/kb (http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=1001489&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&dialogID=20087060&stateId=0 0 20085583)

Had to

When fdisk exits, reboot the ESX host. Format the newly created partition as VMFS3. If the partition number that you created was the 7th partition or /dev/sda7 , you need to reference the VMHBA notation accordingly, for the vmkfstools command.

vmkfstools -C vmfs3 -b 1m -S localVMFS vmhba0:0:0:7

Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

8. May 8, 2009 5:40 AM in response to: jaygriffin
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SuryaVMware
489 posts since
Nov 14, 2008

But this would reformat the disk as VMFS and will overwite the existing data. Did you already tried this?

-Surya

Re: Missing local SCSI VMFS partition

9. May 8, 2009 5:42 AM in response to: SuryaVMware
Click to view jaygriffin's profile Hot Shot
jaygriffin
165 posts since
May 3, 2006
Yes - there was nothing on there I needed.

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