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softcomet
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Expand 3.46 VMFS over 2TB

Hello

we have a virtualized environment with two ESX 4.1.0 (988178) hosts, and an external storage (SAS-based IBM DS3512).

On the external storage we have a VMFS (version 3.46, 4MB block size) of 1.95 TB.

We have added a 600GB disk to the DS3512 in order to expand the LUN up to 2.79 TB roughly.. The LUN expansion, at storage level, has gone ok. If we check the Storage Adapter properties for the SAS adapter connecting to the LUN, we see it detects the new size (2.79 TB LUN).

From the vCenter, we went to one of the ESX 4.0 hosts, Storage view, right clicked on the storage and selected Properties. There there's an active button for "Increase...". If we click on that we get an error message saying --

Call "HostDatastoreSystem.QueryAvailableDisksForVmfs" for object "datasotreSystem-28" in vCenter Server "SRVVC" failed. --.

After this we get an empty extension window so we cannot proceed...

I guess we are missing something and I am asking for some advice. We have expanded VMFS before but they were below the 2TB limit, and it was pretty easy.

How can we make so that we can expand the VMFS to the maximum LUN size (2.79 TB).

Any suggestions?

Ciao and thanks in advance

Alessandro

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a_p_
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The upgrade from VMFS3 to VMFS5 is a matter of seconds and can be done online.

Before you start upgrading, please ensure all components (host, storage) are supported (see VMware Compatibility Guide) by the new version, to not run from one issue into another!

Basically the first step is to upgrade vCenter Server (ensure interoperability with the hosts at VMware Product Interoperability Matrix), followed by the ESXi hosts. Once all hosts are running ESXi5 you may upgrade the datastore (Configuration -> Storage) by clicking the "Upgrade to VMFS5..." link. Once upgraded you should be able to increase the datastore (maximum is ~64TB). In your case, increasing the datastore will reconfigure the LUN's partition type from MBR to GPT. I didn't have the chance to try this myself yet, so please double-check with the documentation whether there's something you need to take care of in this case. I strongly suggest - although I think this should work flawlessly - you ensure that you have an up-to-date backup!

André

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a_p_
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How can we make so that we can expand the VMFS to the maximum LUN size (2.79 TB).

Unfortunately you can't do this this way, at least not with VMFS3. With VMFS3 you are still bound to a maximum LUN isze of 2TB minus 512 Bytes. Since you already increased the LUN size, your options are now very limited. To increase a datastore prior to VMFS5, you need to use extents (separate LUNs). However I'm no friend of this and rather create multiple datastores than extending an existing one.

With the already increased LUN your options are to either recreate the LUNs with sizes <2TB (which requires backing up and restoring all the VMs) or to think of migrating to vSphere 5 and upgrade the datastore to VMFS5 once all hosts are upgraded.


André

softcomet
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Hello Andrè,

thank you for your prompt reply.

From what you are saying our best option would be to migrate to vSphere 5 as right now we could not even create an extent under the current conditions.

If we were to do so, is then the upgrade to VMFS5 destructive? I believe not but it's worth asking.

I would expect to

- migrate to vSphere 5.x (hosts and virtual center)

- upgrade VMFS to version 5 (non-destructive)

- expand VMFS to max LUN size.

Would this be correct?

Thanks

Alex

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a_p_
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The upgrade from VMFS3 to VMFS5 is a matter of seconds and can be done online.

Before you start upgrading, please ensure all components (host, storage) are supported (see VMware Compatibility Guide) by the new version, to not run from one issue into another!

Basically the first step is to upgrade vCenter Server (ensure interoperability with the hosts at VMware Product Interoperability Matrix), followed by the ESXi hosts. Once all hosts are running ESXi5 you may upgrade the datastore (Configuration -> Storage) by clicking the "Upgrade to VMFS5..." link. Once upgraded you should be able to increase the datastore (maximum is ~64TB). In your case, increasing the datastore will reconfigure the LUN's partition type from MBR to GPT. I didn't have the chance to try this myself yet, so please double-check with the documentation whether there's something you need to take care of in this case. I strongly suggest - although I think this should work flawlessly - you ensure that you have an up-to-date backup!

André

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softcomet
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Ok, thanks for the information, very exaustive.

Backups of course must be there.

I am evaulating a parallel path too, to get to SATA disks, add a 2TB RAID 1 alternativce VMFS, migrate the machines, sort out "VMFS 3 to 5" upgrade and move back...if I get them financed....

Thank you very much.

Alex

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a_p_
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Two quick thoughts about this:

André

softcomet
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Cheers Andrè, I will do.

IOPS is not an foundamental issue though, as it would be done off working hours. But we may need the disks as extra lo-performance storage so I may be able to hit to birds with one stone.

Hopefully I will find a way to pay back.

And will post results here.

Ciao

Alex

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softcomet
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Just to give un update on this,

we have upgraded the environment to vSPhere 5.1 (vCenter + hosts).

We had some trouble at installing the new VMware Update Manager, but the thing was resolved by following some KB articles. Our VCenter server was already Windows 2008 R2 so we didn't need to reinstall the VCenter server OS.

The hosts have been updated via the Update Manager, by moving all VMs to one host first (and updating the other) and vice-versa.

We are now performing some full backups using vRanger 6, after which we will update the VMFS to verson 5 and get to the point where we will be able to expand the VMFS.

We discarded for now the idea of reformatting the VMFS 5 from scatch, as we have no space or time window for relocating/recopying the VMs, but for now expanding the VMFS storage space is the main priority.

I'll make another post once the expansion has been carried out.

Side note: vRanger is terribly slow. Anyone knows a faster imaging software? (This may be a forum topic by itself - the slowness of vRanger kicked in my opinion long time ago, and the causes are to be found in two areas: vRanger, after version 4 (now is 6) has been somehow slower, and vMware after version 4.0 has locked / changed some mechanisms for accessing the VMs for backup in an efficient way (we use VMWare Essentials Plus). - The difference is that on a VMWare Essentials Plus (vSphere 4.0) environment with 1GB iSCSI and vRanger 4.x we make a full backup of a 120 GB server in 1 hour. In this other environment (VMWare 5.1, 3GB SAS connectivity to storage, vRanger 6 Standard - we bought 2 years ago vRanger Pro DPP 4 that using the yearly subscriptions, gave us the right to upgrade it to vRanger Standard 6 - it takes 2/3 time longer, sometimes it takes even 12 hours for a 250 GB machine.

Best regards

Alex

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a_p_
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Thanks for the feedback.

Regarding vRanger. There's a major difference between backing up ESX and ESXi. With ESX, vRanger provided direct-to-target backup, leveraging the ESX host's Service Console. ESXi does not have a Service Console anymore and to workaround this fact, you have to install vRanger Virtual Appliances (I usually install one appliance on each host's local datastore). The vRanger Server itself will then use these appliances to backup the VMs by hot-adding the VM's virtual disks.


André

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softcomet
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Just to feedback as promised, we managed this Sunday to complete the job.

We upgraded the VMFS to version 5 (it is basically istantaneous) and then we had the possibility to expand the VMFS above the 2TB limit (without using extents). All this was done with the system and the VMs up and running, no harm to the data whatsoever (we did, though, perform a full backup of all the VMs before doing it, just in case).

Regading the vRanger slowness issue, thanks Andrè for your indications. Our problem is that we have vRanger Pro DPP (it's an old "suite" that used to be sold when vRanger was owned by VizionCore. As we kept it under maintenance, we are still able to use the new versions but, though it says "Pro", it has only some of the pro features, and we cannot use the virtual appliance (available in version 6 of the product, but it requires, fro what we saw, a vRanger Pro license).

So somehow vRanger in its standard version with the ESXi hosts is kind of depotentiated compared to the past. I will check with Quest the cost/possibility of a license upgrade but will also evaluate other products. Any suggestions in this respect? (Veeam, Acronis, etc?)

Best regards and thanks again

Alex

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