Failed to create datastore on Promise EX8654

[PhreakShow]

Hi folks,

atm I'm trying to set up a new ESXi 5 server at my company. ESXi 5 is installed on a flashdrive and booting up fine.

The problems start when I try to add a datastore. Plugged to the server is a Promise EX8654 controller with two 500GB Seagate Constellation ES, configured for Raid1. The init went fine.

vSphere Client wizard runs nice, I have to select the device (array size is shown correctly, like 465GB) and choose a name for it. After hitting finish, I get:

Aufruf von "HostDatastoreSystem.CreateVmfsDatastore" für Objekt "ha-datastoresystem" auf ESXi "192.168.115.5" ist fehlgeschlagen.
Vorgang fehlgeschlagen, Diagnosebericht:  Unable to create Filesystem, please see VMkernel log for more details: Failed to check for existing file system on device '/vmfs/devices/disks/eui.22660001553dc705:1'.

The vmkernel.log says:

2011-12-28T13:40:10.199Z cpu0:3586)FSS: 4333: No FS driver claimed device 'control': Not supported
2011-12-28T13:40:10.200Z cpu5:3586)FSS: 4333: No FS driver claimed device 'eui.22660001553dc705:1': Not supported
2011-12-28T13:40:10.224Z cpu5:3586)VC: 1449: Device rescan time 4 msec (total number of devices 5)
2011-12-28T13:40:10.224Z cpu5:3586)VC: 1452: Filesystem probe time 37 msec (devices probed 5 of 5)
2011-12-28T13:40:10.283Z cpu0:3586)FSS: 4333: No FS driver claimed device 'control': Not supported
2011-12-28T13:40:10.284Z cpu0:3586)FSS: 4333: No FS driver claimed device 'eui.22660001553dc705:1': Not supported
2011-12-28T13:40:10.309Z cpu0:3586)VC: 1449: Device rescan time 4 msec (total number of devices 5)
2011-12-28T13:40:10.309Z cpu0:3586)VC: 1452: Filesystem probe time 36 msec (devices probed 5 of 5)
2011-12-28T13:41:11.709Z cpu3:3653)WARNING: UserObj: 675: Failed to crossdup fd 8, /dev/ptyp0 type CHAR: Busy
2011-12-28T13:41:11.709Z cpu3:3653)WARNING: UserObj: 675: Failed to crossdup fd 10, /dev/ptyp0 type CHAR: Busy
2011-12-28T13:41:11.710Z cpu3:3655)WARNING: UserLinux: 1340: unsupported: (void)

I already added the driver from Promise, scsi-stex-4.07.0000.75-1OEM.500.0.0.472560.x86_64.vib, by esxcli software vib install -v {VIBFILE}

So now I'm quite stuck and don't know what to try now.

I got another issue which is annoying; after every boot I have to manually load the network driver, vmkload-mod sky2 and then restart the management network. Is there a way to have this done automatically at boot?

Thanks for your help,

cheer Stefan

[Linjo]

Have you verified that all the components are on the VMware HCL? If this is a production-server then that is very important..

All the "not supported" in the logs is maybe a hint...

// Linjo

[PhreakShow]

This is no standard server sold as a unit, it's a self assembled one. Asus P7F-C, some midrange Xeon and 16GB ECC ram.

Furthermore an Adaptec 5405 (which is recognized and already configured for passthrough) and the Promise 8654, which is on the HCL.

The driver is installed, the controller is recognized and so is the Raid1 array.

~ # esxcli storage core path list
usb.vmhba32-usb.0:0-mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   UID: usb.vmhba32-usb.0:0-mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Runtime Name: vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Device: mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Device Display Name: Local USB Direct-Access (mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0)
   Adapter: vmhba32
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: usb
   Adapter Identifier: usb.vmhba32
   Target Identifier: usb.0:0
   Adapter Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed
   Target Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed unknown.vmhba2-unknown.0:1-mpx.vmhba2:C0:T1:L0
   UID: unknown.vmhba2-unknown.0:1-mpx.vmhba2:C0:T1:L0
   Runtime Name: vmhba2:C0:T1:L0
   Device: mpx.vmhba2:C0:T1:L0
   Device Display Name: Local Promise Processor (mpx.vmhba2:C0:T1:L0)
   Adapter: vmhba2
   Channel: 0
   Target: 1
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: parallel
   Adapter Identifier: unknown.vmhba2
   Target Identifier: unknown.0:1
   Adapter Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed
   Target Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed unknown.vmhba2-unknown.0:0-eui.22660001553dc705
   UID: unknown.vmhba2-unknown.0:0-eui.22660001553dc705
   Runtime Name: vmhba2:C0:T0:L0
   Device: eui.22660001553dc705
   Device Display Name: Local Promise Disk (eui.22660001553dc705)
   Adapter: vmhba2
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: parallel
   Adapter Identifier: unknown.vmhba2
   Target Identifier: unknown.0:0
   Adapter Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed
   Target Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed

[PhreakShow]

After three days of eternal doom I finally got it running. I cannot explain it why it works now, but I'm just gonna describe what I did.

I changed VMFS3.HardwareAcceleratedLocking under VMFS3 from 1 to 0. Additionally I created a second raid1 using two SATA-drives and then I was able to create datastores on both the sas and sata-arrays. Finally, I deleted the sata-array and the sas is still working.

Concerning the marvell nics I followed this: http://andysworld.org.uk/2011/09/20/tweaking-esxi-50-adding-un-supported-hardware-to-vmware-vsphere-...

The only difference is, you must not just copy the *.v00 and *.tgz files, but you have to use vmtar to convert them.