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eric1201110141
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

VAAI - ESXi 5 - status "unknown"

I am currently having an issue with VAAI showing status "unknown" for our EMC SAN connected LUNs.

We do not see this issue with ESXi 4.1 using the same EMC SAN.

We are using FLARE 04.30.000.5.517 - which is the latest release from EMC.

We are using the same configuration on the SAN for ESXi 4.1 and 5.0.

Rescanning and rebooting has not solved the problem.

I have also done VM copy's on the disks and the status has NOT changed.

Is anyone else having this issue?

Is anyone else successfully using VAAI with EMC CX4-120 and ESXi 5.0 ?

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43 Replies
Dew1803
Contributor
Contributor

Please do. Our upgrade has just been scheduled for next Wed. I'll be looking forward to your results!

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VeyronMick
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

We have reports that there are a number of fixes for VAAI in 4.30.000.5.522.

You'll definitly want to upgrade from .507 due to other bug fixes (I don't have access to the articles myself)....

Primus solutions: emc255741, emc255604, emc254763

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Dew1803
Contributor
Contributor

We just finished updating our VNX 5700 with the latest Flare code (05.31.000.5.502). This seems to have resolved our issues with VMFS5 partitions in excess of 2TB showing an "Unknown" Status. Upon recreation of the datastore in VMFS5 format, the datastore now shows "Supported" and the status remains in a supported state after a reboot.

Hardware Acceleration Status.JPG

Thanks!

-dew

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eric1201110141
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

It's nice to know that EMC has fixed the issue - at least with VNX.

Unfortunately the CX4 FLARE is only at 04.30.000.5.522, and there is no mention of VAAI fixes in the release notes.

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lydian666
Contributor
Contributor

I have hust upgraded my CX4 to FLARE 4.30.000.5.522 but I am still having this issue! I have an open support case with both VMWARE and EMC regarding this

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jacobf
Contributor
Contributor

I just finished upgrading to all my hosts to 5 and I'm also showing "unknown".  We have two cx4-480's both at flare 30.511.  I went ahead and scheduled the flare update to 30.522.  Has that actualy resolved it for anybody?  Somewhere i saw a post mentioning a fix that was in 30.512, but for the live of me i can't find it again.

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VeyronMick
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

EMC have confirmed that they haven't certified VAAI for use with Flare 30 with Clariion arrays on ESX 5.0 (it is supported in ESX 4.1).

The Clariion is supported for use with ESX 5.0 without VAAI enabled.

The VNX is certified for use with VAAI with Flare 31.

I don't have any timelines on when it may be supported.

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eric1201110141
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

EMC needs to get with the program! :smileyshocked:

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lydian666
Contributor
Contributor

Please run the "failover wizard" from your CX4 system, and set the vmware host nodes to Clariion open and MODE 4

All went to "supported" when i did this

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eric1201110141
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

What was your failover mode set to before?

Can you confirm your version of FLARE and ESXi 5?

Thanks.

From: lydian666 <communities-emailer@vmware.com<mailto:communities-emailer@vmware.com>>

Reply-To: communities-emailer <communities-emailer@vmware.com<mailto:communities-emailer@vmware.com>>

Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:47:22 -0600

To: Eric Kufrin <eric.kufrin@comcom.com<mailto:eric.kufrin@comcom.com>>

Subject: New message: "VAAI - ESXi 5 - status "unknown""[34iyqb-pbk9-13wko]

VMware Communities<http://communities.vmware.com/index.jspa>

VAAI - ESXi 5 - status "unknown"

reply from lydian666<http://communities.vmware.com/people/lydian666> in VMware ESXi 5 - View the full discussion<http://communities.vmware.com/message/1861800#1861800

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lydian666
Contributor
Contributor

It was set to MODE 1

I have tested on both FLARE 30. 008 (really old) and the newest available to CX4

Med venlig hilsen/ Best regards

Dan Have Larsen

Senior IT Konsulent

Berendsen Textil Service A/S

Tobaksvejen 22

2860 Gladsaxe

www.berendsen.dk

Dir. tlf.: +45 39538562

Mobil: +45 23738562

Fax:

Email: dhl@berendsen.dk

From: eric1201110141 <communities-emailer@vmware.com>

To: Dan Have Larsen <dhl@berendsen.dk>

Date: 11-11-2011 14:55

Subject: New message: "VAAI - ESXi 5 - status "unknown""

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rickardnobel
Champion
Champion

lydian666 wrote:

Because i dont know if it is working. I can see that it is enabled in the config, but is enable the same af working?

See this how to watch if the offload is being used or not while doing a clone/deploy/storage vMotion.

My VMware blog: www.rickardnobel.se
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iliketurbos
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

any updates on this? we are seeing the issue as well, thanks,

alan

esxi 515841

cx-4 960

4.30.000.5.517

some luns show unknown, unsupported, all new luns with vmfs5 show unknown as well

anyone try 523 yet?

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eric1201110141
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

The EMC is responding to the test packets with a failure do to the fact that it thinks VAAI will only work on LUNS under 2TB.

EMC needs to update FLARE code on CX4 to support VAAI 5.0

EMC may or may not do this…

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iliketurbos
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

seems to be the response i am getting as well for the cx4, but unknown about the vnx, if the awnser is <2tb for vmfs5,

that is crap, and they need to fix it too!

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jacobf
Contributor
Contributor

We have two cx4-480s, one of them I’ve updated to 4.30.000.5.522. The other one is at 4.30.000.5.511. They both have a mix of >2tb and <2tb luns. The one that is updated to 522 seems to no longer be affected, all luns are showing supported. The one at .511 still shows unknown for all the >2tb luns and supported for the <2tb luns. I don’t recall seeing anything about vaai in the .522 release notes, but it looks to be working.

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lydian666
Contributor
Contributor

Also you need to set the failover mode to 4. When I set the failovermode to 4 both my systems went to "supported"

Versions are 04.30.000.5.522 and 04.30.000.5.507

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iliketurbos
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

not when they are over 2tb,

here is the offical word from EMC:

"

I'm happy to confirm from Engineering that VNX supports VAAI with >2TB luns at R31.502 and up

Per our conference call, Clarion supports luns larger than 2 TB on ESX At R30.522 and up

Kind Regards "

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IgorAbzalov
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi. What status now? I want to make 7 TB LUN on EMC CX4-120 Pool with FAST VP, ALUA mode, Round Robin and vSphere 5.0 Update 1. Is it work and officially supported by EMC and VMware?

If i have more 50 VM's and such big LUN - does VAAI Hardware Locking in EMC CX4-120 works well ?

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fgl
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I am currently out of the office returning August 20th. If you request immediate assistance please contact the helpdesk at 562-985-4052 or ats-help@csulb.edu.

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