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neikel
Contributor
Contributor

Problem with Shared storage (SAN)

Hi,

I have a SAN Storage DX440 S2 system, and two ESXi 5 (two physical servers)

I could assign Disk to single virtual server using LUN disk created on SAN

However, I couldn't create a shared storage (using LUN, Raw Devices Mapping) between two or more servers. After add shared storage to two servers (A and B), I checked up and realized that the servers using separated space. I mean I created a file on shared storage through server A then checked it from B but cannot see that file. And when running the test of building Failover Cluster Microsoft it fails on the cluster disk test.

Please, could you show me steps to create a Shared Storage (SAN) between servers and also quorum disk on SAN and mapping it to ESXi virtual servers ?

Thank you.

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3 Replies
marcelo_soares
Champion
Champion

MSCS will not allow you tu have read/write on the same disk. Each node owns the disk at a time, not at the same time. This is the natural behavior. Store a file from the node A, then failover to node B and you should see the file over there.

Marcelo Soares
Cyberfed27
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

If you are trying to do a MS cluster using VMware the disks presented to windows(vm) need to be raw device mappings to the LUN's on the SAN. ESXi should not be in control of those disks.

Once you have done a RDM to the windows VM you can proceed to setup the cluster in windows like you normally would.

Keep in mind by building a MSCS limits some VMware features due to the use of RDMs.

Marcelo is also correct a Windows cluster will only allow on server to have control of the disks at a time to prevent corruption of the disks.

neikel
Contributor
Contributor

Your answers is very helpful, now I passed the test of failover cluster building.

With your helps I focused on solving an error that made I thought I was failed on shared storage:

The wrong diskette is in the drive. Insert %2 (Volume Serial Number: %3) into drive %1

And following some suggestions, I converted the LUN disk from MBR to GPT then everything work fine now. Hope this help somebody else.


Thank you very much

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