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swbrand
Contributor
Contributor

Problem with datastore on SAN

Hi guys

I've got a problem that I'm battling with.

My host server is a Dell R710. On that I installed ESX1 4.1. I connect to it using vSphere client.

I’ve got a Dell md3200i SAN that I connect the ESXi to using the iSCSI software adapter.

I then create the datastore on the LUN I connected to.

I then create the VM using the datastore on the san as the hard drive and choose LSI logic SAS SCSI controller.

I then try to install Windows Server 2008 R2 on the VM, but it hangs at “Copying Windows Files (0%) ...” until it gives an error (takes hours of waiting the get to the error)

If I delete everything and create a new VM but using the datastore on the local disk instead of the SAN, then everything works 100%, so the problem must be related to the SAN it seems.

I set up a Microsoft Hyper V server, connect it to the SAN, and install a machine on there and that works 100% (so the SAN seems to be fine) . . .

I noticed when I brows the datastore on the SAN when I try to install the guest OS, the virtual hard drive (vmdk file) is always exactly the size of the block size I chose when I created the data store. If I chose 8mb, then the vmdk is 8mb, if I chose 2mb as the block size, then the vmdk is 2mb. (Don’t know if this fact will be relevant)

Can anyone help?

Thanks!!!

Hi

I just added a screen shot of the error I get.

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logiboy123
Expert
Expert

Try different controller types in your OS, also try creating a Ubuntu server as well.

It sounds like a SAN issue because creating the VM on locally attached storage on the ESX drives works.

You could also try creating the VM on local attached disks, then shut it down and storage vMotion it to the SAN, power it up and see what happens.

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Walfordr
Expert
Expert

What is the size of your LUN?  Can you provide screenshots of the LUN properties window?

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.
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opbz
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

The best practices for the Md3200i and ESX4.x are wrong... at least they where upto a month ago. They seem to have copied the best practices for the equallogics boxes. The md3200 needs to have multiple subnets configured for iscsi. They told me a new version of the document should be coming shortly as it is in their page I still do not see a best practices for md3200i and vmware

Here is the one for the md3000i it should be similar:

http://www.delltechcenter.com/page/VMware+ESX+4.0+and+PowerVault+MD3000i

good luck