ESXi

Hello all,

I have an issue with 1 FC LUN that can be seen as a device through multiple paths on all 10 hosts in a cluster but it only appear as a VMFS datastore on 6 of the hosts. Other LUNs from the same array appear fine on all hosts. All 10 hosts see the LUN with the same LUN ID and all hosts are identical with respect to ESXi version (5.0 Update 2), HBA models and firmware.

On the 4 hosts that can see the device but not the VMFS datastore it appears that it sees the LUN as a snapshot: "esxcli storage vmfs snapshot list" results in:

4f5e5cbb-a87cd2c6-86e9-d8d385f98034
   Volume Name: LUN101_SAS2
   VMFS UUID: 4f5e5cbb-a87cd2c6-86e9-d8d385f98034
   Can mount: true
   Reason for un-mountability:
   Can resignature: false
   Reason for non-resignaturability: the volume is being actively used
   Unresolved Extent Count: 1

The above VMFS UUID matches the VMFS UUID seen on the 6 hosts that can see the VMFS datastore.

When I try to use "Add Storage", the device appears with a VMFS Label of: LUN101_SAS2(head). I'm not sure why (head) has been appended to the VMFS label. On the following screen the "Keep existing signature" and "Assign a new signature" options are greyed out. The only option is "Format the disk". I need to keep the existing signature as there are running VMs that have their .vmx and .vmdk files on this LUN.

Would the fact that I have running VMs on this LUN be preventing me from choosing the "Keep existing signature" option?

Will I need to Storage vMotion these VMs to another LUN before I can add the VMFS datastore to the 4 hosts?

TIA

Hey RoscoT,

Try the following command

#esxcfg-volume -l

This ought to show the volume

To persistently mount the volume, use esxcfg-volume -M followed by either the UUID or the name of the volume

Regards

a

A big thank you a_nut_in!

That worked a treat. I'd tried from the GUI directly attached to the host and using vCenter but no joy. Good to know that esxcfg-volume -M will force the VMFS datastore to be mounted while obviously keeping the current UUID.

Cheers again,

Rosco

No worries :smileyblush:

esxcfg -l option is showing nothing. I am trying to downgrade from 5.1 to 41. update 3 as 5.1 is show freq purple screen for my this whitebox.

Do you see any issue in this and also esxcfg-volume -l is showing nothing...

Hello, i need help if you can i will appreciate it. i have the same issue i can't see the datastore so i want to mount it without to format the drive i need the data.

i tried the commands but when i run esxcfg-volume -M and the UDID after some time i receive an error:timeout

esxcfg-volume -M 50105409-876f4320-030d-0010f3246b93 this is the command that i run.

Do you have any idea? Thanks

Hi Peri,

Try running esxcfg-volume -l to check that the volume can indeed be mounted. If nothing is listed then it's probably another problem you're encountering.

Run esxcli storage vmfs extent list to see all the datastores

Run esxcfg-volume -M <the name of the datastore>

Give that a whirl.

This worked for me too! Thank you!

- 2 standalone hosts (not clustered), same VMware ESXi, 5.5.0, 4345813

- vcenter 5.5, 4180647

- using web client

- san present disk with same LUN ID to both hosts

- mounted LUN on first host, formatted to vmfs5 (5.60)

- LUN was visible on second host as well, tried to add datastore via the wizard keeping signature but it could not complete without this error:

"The Resolve VMFS volumes operation failed for the entity with the following error message. A VMFS volume with the same UUID is already mounted in the datacenter."

(removed actual uuid)

So I started googling, found this topic, connected to 2nd host via ssh, run commands and now both hosts can access the same datastore without problem.

I'm having the same issue, any help would be appreciated

Could you give an example of a working commandstring for vSphere ESXi 5.1? I guess a lot of people are having this problem.

Check the commands listed in this KB http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1011387

Thanks. I was a little tired here from going to work at 0400, but of cause it was just to log in to the ssh server with putty and run "esxcfg-volume -M MYDISKNAME" for each disk listed by the esxcfg-volume -l command and all was OK.

Thanks for the answer i appreciate it. when i run the -l it's mounted but at the resignature it has false. i can copy exactly the error message there.

~ # esxcfg-volume -l

VMFS UUID/label: 50105409-876f4320-030d-0010f3246b93/datastore1

Can mount: Yes

Can resignature: No (failed to check for existing active volumes)

Extent name: t10.ATA_____Crucial_CT120M500SSD1___________________________1307092A3738:3 range: 0 - 71167 (MB)

Thank you!

Wow,

Previously, I would have moved all my VMs off of this volume and reformatted trying to get this to mount on all hosts.

This command worked like a CHAMP! 

FYI, the UUID given after running the first command in my instance was: 

[root@esx2:~] esxcfg-volume -l

VMFS UUID/label: 5347af6e-3b64a73d-eaa1-0022195bb6e4/iSCSI_NAS

The UUID to enter is:  5347af6e-3b64a73d-eaa1-0022195bb6e4

Hence: esxcfg-volume -M 5347af6e-3b64a73d-eaa1-0022195bb6e4

Worked perfectly... I'm using vSphere 6/vCenter 6, etc...

THANK YOU!!!!!

=wolfegang=

Hi

I have the same issue. 

I have the following setup.

Iscsi Storage

Store01

Store02

Host01

Host02

both stores have direct connections to hosts.

Host02 has access to store 01 and 02

Host01 has access to store02 but not 01

When i run the force mount command the drive appears.  However when i restart that host it comes back up without STORE01 attached.

Any ideas would be helpful.

I have the same issue, the datastores are gone after a reboot, as if they aren't persistent.

Just saw this somewhere else. May be your problem.

esxcfg-volume –M to mount the volume without resignaturing (use lower case m for temporary mount rather than persistent)