VCMS renames ESX local vmfs

[tharpy]

In our lab, we are running ESX 3.0.2,52542 on two hosts and VCMS 2.0.2, 50618 using MSDE

I add first ESX host (ESX1) to cluster1 and it comes in fine with local vmfs named "local1" and ISCSI vmfs named "vmfs1". View from VI client through VCMS shows names ok.

I create second host (ESX2, not yet connected to VCMS); it's local vmfs is named "local2" and can also see ISCSI vmfs named "vmfs1". This is verified via console and VI client connected to ESX2 directly.

I add ESX2 to cluster1 in VCMS and it's local vmfs gets renamed to same as ESX1's local vmfs....i.e. "local1". Subsequent VI client direct or console session verifies that label has indeed been changed on ESX2. VC datastores only shows a total of two volumes....vmfs1 and local1

If I change name of ESX2's local vmfs while attached to VCMS, local vmfs on both hosts is changed to the new name.

While I rebuild my vcms database from scratch, does anyone have any ideas why this is happening?

thanks

[tharpy]

Rebuilt database (and vcms) from scratch. Same thing happened. Second host's local vmfs gets named same as first host's local vmfs.

[tharpy]

get this.....I selected ESX2, configuration, storage and renamed local1 back to local2 as it should be.

then, through SC, I create a text file on that vmfs named ip.txt

then, back in VCMS, select ESX1, configuration, storage. Local volume is labeled "local2" and if I browse it in VC, I can see the file I put on ESX2's local disk.

log into SC on ESX1 and local is, in fact, renamed to local2, but disk is empty.

....so it appears that VCMS is only actually seeing the local disk on ESX2, regardless of which host is selected in the inventory view.

(unrelated side note) VI client right click on an object doesn't work when running VI client on monitor two of multi-monitor setup....Vista64. that one gave me fits for awhile until I figured it out.

[tharpy]

...and the answer is....

ESX hosts running in Workstation 6 VM's. Second host was originally created as a linked clone of the first.....after I had modified the vmx file and was still having other problems, I rebuilt the VM...but kept the vmx cuz I was too lazy to re-do the mods per Xtravirt doc, keeping pointer to disk file (which was based on a linked clone). What got me looking there was that when I ran the vdf -h command on both hosts, both hosts showed the same UID for their local vmfs.

Blew ESX2 away and built it from scratch and all works perfectly ('cept for the multimonitor glitch in the VI Client which, by the way, I've since upgraded to the most recent release.

live and learn.