Missing Datastore after removing other RAID Array

ejeanmaire · ‎06-15-2011

Heres the scoop, I have an HP DL380 G6 server, and when I first got the server I wanted to get a jump start on ESXi for this host, so I plugged in a single disk and created a RAID array (ESXi datastore only, ESXi is installed on a flash drive). Once my 7 SAS disks came in, I created a second RAID with those which was intended to be permanent datastore. My ESXi installation has been running, and I have had no problems with the datastore for over a year. Now I went to delete the old RAID array for the single disk which I long since gone, and vCenter kept reminding me that I had a broken RAID (obviously, since the disk is gone.). So I deleted the old RAID array in the HP RAID utility at boot (yes the correct one was deleted), and rebooted the server, only to find out that the datastore can no longer be found by ESXi! It seems that ESXi is getting tripped up that the nonexistance of the first RAID, and doesnt even bother to check for the possibility of the 2nd and only RAID array.

Any suggestions?

a_p_ · ‎06-15-2011

Welcome to the Community,

can you please run esxcfg-volume -l on the console, to see whether the LUN with the datastore is recognized as a snapshot LUN?

Maybe http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1011387 can help in this case.

If you are unsure, please consider to open a call with VMware to avoid possible data loss!

André

ejeanmaire · ‎06-15-2011

Thanks for the suggestion, however the command provides no output.

Walfordr · ‎06-16-2011

What do you see if you go to

1. From VI clientConfiguration > Storage Adapters > The SAS adapters > Details?

-Have you tried to Rescan All storage adapters?

2. From the CLI (SSH or local console) > ls -alh /vmfs/volumes and ls-alh /vmfs/devices/disks/

Robert -- BSIT, VCP3/VCP4, A+, MCP (Wow I haven't updated my profile since 4.1 days) -- Please consider awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

ejeanmaire · ‎06-16-2011

1) My adapter shows up fine in Config > Storage Adapters > Properties, also I have refreshed and rescanned for datastores, no luck.

2) I'll run this when I get a change (not near the server today).

Thanks for the suggestions.

ejeanmaire · ‎06-23-2011

The only way I found to solve the problem was to recreate the first RAID Array that I deleted. After adding one separate disk back into the server, Vmware found the 7 disk Array. Only problem is I still have the hardware warning that 1st array / 8th disk is missing (after now removing it again), but I suppose I can live with that.