Unable to retrieve hard disk sharing configuration

[BenFB]

We have a few clustered VMs that use shared VMDK (Oracle RAC) with the hard disk sharing set to "Multi-writer". We are finding that we can only locate these VMs by looking at the VMX file but we don't want to grant permission to download the VMX files. Is there another way that we are missing?

We tried these two approaches and they do not return the expected "scsi0:2.sharing = "multi-writer"".

1.

$vm = Get-VM RAC01

Get-AdvancedSetting -Entity $vm | Sort-Object Name | FT -AutoSize

2.

$vm = Get-VM RAC01

$vmView = Get-View -VIObject $vm

$vmView.Config.ExtraConfig

[LucD · Accepted solution]

Did you try the code in Re: need to check multiwriter is enabled in VM

[BenFB]

I was hoping you would reply. Your example on the second page works (Re: need to check multiwriter is enabled in VM).

VM            : Test
Name          : Hard disk 1
StorageFormat : Thin
Filename      : [datastore1] Test/Test.vmdk
Multi-Writer  : sharingNone

VM            : Test
Name          : Hard disk 2
StorageFormat : EagerZeroedThick
Filename      : [datastore1] Test/Test_1.vmdk
Multi-Writer  : sharingMultiWriter

[LucD]

Yes, should have mentioned that 6.5 apparently behaves differently.

Sorry about that

[BenFB]

So some good news and bad news. This is working on our test machine where we added a new hard disk with the sharing set to multi-writer. However, on our existing Oracle RAC servers it just returns a blank value. When we look in the vSphere Client "Sharing" is set to "Unspecified". We looked at the VMX and confirmed that it's configured.

[LucD]

Is there a difference in the disks (VMFS version, different provider...)?

[BenFB]

The Oracle RAC VMs are currently using VMDK on both VMFS 5.58 and 5.61. The test I did was on 5.61.

I think this might be a bug since it used to display properly in the Web Client. The hosts are due for patching which will require a power off/on of the VMs so I'll see if that makes a difference.

[LucD]

So those RAC VMs do not show the multi-writer info, neither via the Advanced Settings, nor via the esxcli command?
Perhaps worth to open a SR for this?

[BenFB]

That's correct, I filled an SR.Thanks for your help!

[BenFB]

LucD​ The engineer confirmed that this is a know issue with two PR associated with it (1653950 and 1500135).

[LucD]

Thanks for sharing that

[BenFB]

We've done a few rounds of patching but I forgot to test this. I can confirm that on ESXi 6.0 Express Patch 19 (10719132) we no longer see this and it correctly returns.

Multi-Writer  : sharingMultiWriter