ESXi 5.5, Microsoft Clustering - cluster validation fails with SCSI page 83h VPD descriptor error

[MichaelLeone]

I have to create a MS cluster on a ESXi 5.5 U3b cluster (I know, it's old, but that's the assignment). I can successfully create the 2 Win 2016 VMs, create the RDM disks; share them; create the cluster; even join the RDM disks as available storage to the cluster. All that is fine.

The cluster validation test is failing with "Physical disk 1 on <both nodes> does not support the inquiry data (SCSI page 83h VPD descriptor) that is required by failover clustering.

Now, here's the thing. Physical disk 1 on both nodes is a *local* disk - i.e., it's not intended to be used by the cluster at all. It's drive 😧 on those machines; it's where you install the application that will use the cluster (in my case MS SQL 2016). So I don't know know why it cares about a disk that will in no way be used as a cluster resource  ...

Those disks are defined as "thick provision lazy zeroed"; could that be the issue? Is it that any drive that isn't the boot drive must be "thick provisioned eager zeroed"?

(I can't test right now, it's doing Windows Updates. and if you've ever done WU on a Win 2016 server, you know that can take hours, even with only 3 cumulative updates)

I definitely need a 2nd local disk for application installation, otherwise I would just delete the disk and go. As I say, my 4 cluster disks are all configured, waiting in "Available Storage". I can even move them from one node to another. I just can't pass the validation test, and that test is required, before SQL will install as a SQL cluster.

It's got to be something simple I've missed, but what?

Thanks for any help.

[daphnissov · Accepted solution]

WFC with Server 2016 isn't going to work on 5.5 as it's not supported. Yet another reason you need to upgrade.

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[ashishsingh1508]

As mentioned above it is not supported.

Check this KB VMware Knowledge Base

[MichaelLeone]

Really? The  "Setup for Failover Clustering and Microsoft Cluster Service" guide says "Win 2012r2 and above". And I know Win 2016 itself (non-clustered) works on ESXi 5.5U3b; I'm running it ...

Yes, I would much prefer to run this on our ESXi 6.7 U1 cluster. However, that is not what I was assigned. And yes, I mentioned no support, and how it's a lot easier on 6.7, etc. There are reasons we need it on ESXi 6.7, however, and so I am trying to set it up. (and unfortunately the application we want to run requires SQL 2016, I am told, so I may be stuck).

Win 2016 clustering works, as I noted in my original message. It is just coming up as invalid disk, on a non-clustered disk.

I will tell my boss this is a non-supported environment. Then again, running on 5.5 is also non-supported, so I may have to attempt it regardless. I will see if changing the disk format of the non-clustered disk makes it work.

Thanks