ESXi 5.5 only 4TB usable for datastore

[D3fc0n]

Hello all

Although in vSphere Client a capacity of 5.46 TB is visible, I can only use 3.64 TB for a datastore.

Configuration:

- HP Proliant Microserver N40L

- HP Smart Array Controller P410/512 BBWC, FW 3.66

- 4 x 2TB as one Raid5

- HP-ESXi-5.5.0-iso-5.72A

I read a lot of articles about >2TB limitations of older ESXi versions or controllers, 4TB limitation of C# vSphere Client, old firmware and esxi driver problems, etc.

But I could not figure out the problem.

The P410 controller  shows 5.5TB:

~ # esxcli hpssacli cmd -q "controller slot=1 show config"

Smart Array P410 in Slot 1                (sn: PACCRID110510NR)

   array A (SATA, Unused Space: 0  MB)

      logicaldrive 1 (5.5 TB, RAID 5, OK)

      physicaldrive 2I:0:5 (port 2I:box 0:bay 5, SATA, 2 TB, OK)

      physicaldrive 2I:0:6 (port 2I:box 0:bay 6, SATA, 2 TB, OK)

      physicaldrive 2I:0:7 (port 2I:box 0:bay 7, SATA, 2 TB, OK)

      physicaldrive 2I:0:8 (port 2I:box 0:bay 8, SATA, 2 TB, OK)

   SEP (Vendor ID PMCSIERA, Model  SRC 8x6G) 250  (WWID: 5001438013D9F37F)

ESXi obviously recognises the same size:

~ # esxcli storage core device list

naa.600508b1001ca5e68adc0bc4bc508d6e

   Display Name: HP Serial Attached SCSI Disk (naa.600508b1001ca5e68adc0bc4bc508d6e)

   Has Settable Display Name: true

   Size: 5723091

   Device Type: Direct-Access

   Multipath Plugin: NMP

   Devfs Path: /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.600508b1001ca5e68adc0bc4bc508d6e

   Vendor: HP

   Model: LOGICAL VOLUME

   Revision: 3.66

   SCSI Level: 5

   (etc...)

But only offers 4TB:

~ # df -h

Filesystem   Size   Used Available Use% Mounted on

VMFS-5       3.6T   2.1T      1.5T  58% /vmfs/volumes/mainstorage

vfat       249.7M 177.2M     72.6M  71% /vmfs/volumes/aeda2aeb-c934ad60-46ce-cb77abdfabaa

vfat       249.7M 175.9M     73.9M  70% /vmfs/volumes/c8ace7e9-a96a5914-16d4-a697ad4634d9

vfat       285.8M 191.4M     94.4M  67% /vmfs/volumes/55d7af6e-a25f7c97-c3ec-6805ca0de93c

I tried to increase the datastore size, last used sector was 11720890367 and last offered sector was 11720890510 which does not really seem to result in an increase of 1.8TB.

Thanks for your help.

dc

[Techie01]

Can you please share the output of "esxcli storage filesystem list"

[D3fc0n]

Sure:

~ # esxcli storage filesystem list

Mount Point                                        Volume Name  UUID                                 Mounted  Type             Size           Free

-------------------------------------------------  -----------  -----------------------------------  -------  ------  -------------  -------------

/vmfs/volumes/55d7bf70-b7f7bcf9-f861-6805ca0de93c  mainstorage  55d7bf70-b7f7bcf9-f861-6805ca0de93c     true  VMFS-5  4000493600768  1695752912896

/vmfs/volumes/aeda2aeb-c934ad60-46ce-cb77abdfabaa               aeda2aeb-c934ad60-46ce-cb77abdfabaa     true  vfat        261853184       76075008

/vmfs/volumes/c8ace7e9-a96a5914-16d4-a697ad4634d9               c8ace7e9-a96a5914-16d4-a697ad4634d9     true  vfat        261853184       77459456

/vmfs/volumes/55d7af6e-a25f7c97-c3ec-6805ca0de93c               55d7af6e-a25f7c97-c3ec-6805ca0de93c     true  vfat        299712512       98992128

~

[Techie01]

Looks like vmfs is able to see only 4TB of space on that disk. Can you post the output of "partedUtil getptbl /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.600508b1001ca5e68adc0bc4bc508d6e"

[D3fc0n]

Ok:

~ # partedUtil getptbl "/vmfs/devices/disks/naa.600508b1001ca5e68adc0bc4bc508d6e"

gpt

729591 255 63 11720890544

1 64 8191 C12A7328F81F11D2BA4B00A0C93EC93B systemPartition 128

5 8224 520191 EBD0A0A2B9E5443387C068B6B72699C7 linuxNative 0

6 520224 1032191 EBD0A0A2B9E5443387C068B6B72699C7 linuxNative 0

7 1032224 1257471 9D27538040AD11DBBF97000C2911D1B8 vmkDiagnostic 0

8 1257504 1843199 EBD0A0A2B9E5443387C068B6B72699C7 linuxNative 0

2 1843200 10229759 EBD0A0A2B9E5443387C068B6B72699C7 linuxNative 0

3 10229760 3907029134 AA31E02A400F11DB9590000C2911D1B8 vmfs 0

4 3907031040 11720890367 AA31E02A400F11DB9590000C2911D1B8 vmfs 0

~ #

[Techie01 · Accepted solution]

From your output it shows that there are two vmfs partitions

3 10229760 3907029134 AA31E02A400F11DB9590000C2911D1B8 vmfs 0

4 3907031040 11720890367 AA31E02A400F11DB9590000C2911D1B8 vmfs 0

One partition with 1.8Tb and another one with 3.8 TB.   This is the reason you are seeing only 3.8 TB

I dont know why the 1.8TB vmfs volume is not listing anywhere ( that is not listed in esxcli storage filesystem list also). Have you manually created any partition before. In case if you think there is no data in that 1.8 TB vmfs partition you can delete it using partedutil command and then use that free space to extend the existing 3.8TB. But be sure before deleting the partitiaon

[D3fc0n]

YES!

I deleted partition 3 and then could increase the datastore with the missing 1.8TB using vSphere Client 5.5.0-3024345.

This is the result:

/vmfs/volumes # df -h

Filesystem   Size   Used Available Use% Mounted on

VMFS-5       5.5T   2.1T      3.4T  38% /vmfs/volumes/mainstorage

vfat       249.7M 185.2M     64.5M  74% /vmfs/volumes/aeda2aeb-c934ad60-46ce-cb77abdfabaa

vfat       249.7M 182.4M     67.4M  73% /vmfs/volumes/c8ace7e9-a96a5914-16d4-a697ad4634d9

vfat       285.8M 201.6M     84.2M  71% /vmfs/volumes/55d7af6e-a25f7c97-c3ec-6805ca0de93c

I cannot explain how the partition got lost, but I read about vSphere C# Client having an issue with partitions >4TB.

Obviously this is solved with the current version. I upgraded to 5.5-U3 in the meantime.

Thank you very much!