ESXi 5 doesn't recognize raid storage array - raid controller problem

[korczyn]

Hello everyone!

I'm very fresh in ESXi. I've been trying to solve my problem for a while, no solution found, so I've decided to post it here:

my setup:

1. motherboard: ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 890GX USB3.0 HD4290
2. processor: AMD PHENOM X6 1100T 3,3GHz x6 BLACK EDITION
3. hard drives: 4x Dysk Western Digital CAVIAR 2TB SATA II 64MB CACHE (WD20EARS)

4. RAID 1+0 I found the following specification in the Raid menu:

Controller IRQ: 7
AHCI HBA MMIO Base Address: FE4FFCOO

I would like to have my ESXi Server (e.g. 5.0) installed in RAID 10,

The  problem is: ESXi does not see the RAID array (even if I create RAID  disc < 2TB, which shouldn't be a problem in case of ESXi 5.0  anyway)...

During the installation process ESXi sees only 4 discs 2TB (no  RAID array), so I've installed it on the first one and in a VSphere I  can see of course only one disc instead of the whole 4GB array...

Why I claim is a controller problem and not ESXi like in the following article (http://communities.vmware.com/thread/326902)?

When I was trying to install a Windows Server 8 it couldn't see  the RAID neither, but I have downloaded a Raid controller driver for  Windows (I think it was this one: AMD AHCI Driver V3.2.1540.35 for Windows 32/64bit XP) from the Asus site and it worked (at least for windows)...

I was very desperate and I've decided to stay with Windows and run ESXi in a VirtualBox, but nested virtualization is a bit lame...

Any suggestions?

Pleeeeeeeeease help!!!

cheers,

M.

[scottyyyc]

It looks like the RAID controller isn't properly passing on the RAID set information to the OS's. You've set up the actual array in the RAID controller's BIOS, right? It should be an all or nothing scenario - ESXi/Windows should see the giant 4TB array, or nothing at all. It shouldn't see the individual disks.

Remember, the RAID controller should be passing on the disk information to the operating system as one giant SCSI disk. The operating system shouldn't even know it's RAIDed or that there are multiple disks.

[akamali]

I don't mean to hijack your post but I'm having the same problem with my SUPERMICRO AS-1022G-URF 1U, I can't see the virtual disk, instead I can

see all 4 disks after the RAID was configured via RAID manager.

what is the process to solve this issue beside buying new RAID card that ESXi can recognize it?

Is there a way to add the necessarily drives inside ESXi ISO? so when I run the installation I will be able to see my RAID card!.

Thanks;

Adam

[jjkrueger]

The on-board RAID is not supported by vSphere and is partially software-driven (since you had to download a driver for Windows). This means that the RAID will not be visible in ESXi. In order to see your disks, you'll have to disable the RAID and present individual disk devices to ESXi.

You can check the VMware Compatibility Guide (http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php) for a supported RAID controller if you need your boot device to be RAID-protected.

[scottyyyc]

Are these RAID cards in question on the VMware HCL? Most common RAID cards are, but a lot of the built-in ones aren't. This is one of the big risks of white-box/supermicro setups. For all but home labs, you generally want to avoid supermicro like the plague.

[korczyn]

scottyyyc a écrit:

It looks like the RAID controller isn't properly passing on the RAID set information to the OS's. You've set up the actual array in the RAID controller's BIOS, right? It should be an all or nothing scenario - ESXi/Windows should see the giant 4TB array, or nothing at all. It shouldn't see the individual disks.

...but that's exactly what happend, it can see giant 4TB array in case of windows (after installing a driver), for ESXi - four individual...

[korczyn]

what is the process to solve this issue beside buying new RAID card that ESXi can recognize it?

Is there a way to add the necessarily drives inside ESXi ISO?

don't want to "hijack your post" but accually I ask the same questions to myself

[korczyn]

John Krueger a écrit:

The on-board RAID is not supported by vSphere and is partially software-driven (since you had to download a driver for Windows).  This means that the RAID will not be visible in ESXi.  In order to see your disks, you'll have to disable the RAID and present individual disk devices to ESXi.

Actually, I was making this mistake, because I deleted a RAID (in the RAID menu) without disabling RAID in the BIOS,

...I have changed RAID to IDE in the main BIOS and now in the storage (in vSphere) I can add discs easily...

That's partially solving my problem, at least I know I have to forget about RAID configuration...

Thanks again,

korczyn

[keminet1]

Hello,

Please can you explain me why?

I have a supermicro server - x8dtt

I have setup 3 x500 gb sata as raid 5 on bios.

But after install Esxi 6.0, this raid volume doesn't show in storage volume of esxi.

There are again 3 hdd, but no raid 5 volume?!!

Kind Regards,