Recovering a vmfs on a recovered raid5,

[MersoftJeff]

Help,

I have a ESXi 5.5, which has been upgraded.

The VMFS comprised of multiple extends. across controllers. One virtual disk lost and recovered, but now the ESXi does not recognize it as part of the VMFS.

/vmfs/volumes # vmkfstools -P /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/

VMFS-3.31 file system spanning 2 partitions.

File system label (if any): datastore1

Mode: public

Capacity 2302639341568 (274496 file blocks * 8388608), 0 (0 blocks) avail, max file size 2199023255552

UUID: 496e2ada-91a1117e-4e13-001e4f142a9b

Partitions spanned (on "lvm"):

  naa.6001e4f01656ae000f921900875808c4:3

  naa.6001e4f01656ae000f92193c3cd34109:1

  (One or more partitions spanned by this volume may be offline)

Is Native Snapshot Capable: NO

however, ESXi sees the recovered partitions, but doesn't want to include them in the VMFS

/vmfs/volumes # esxcfg-scsidevs -c

Device UID                            Device Type      Console Device                                            Size      Multipath PluginDisplay Name       

mpx.vmhba0:C0:T0:L0                   CD-ROM           /vmfs/devices/cdrom/mpx.vmhba0:C0:T0:L0                   0MB       NMP     Local HL-DT-ST CD-ROM (mpx.vmhba0:C0:T0:L0)

naa.500123f2bf000113                  Enclosure Svc Dev/vmfs/devices/genscsi/naa.500123f2bf000113                0MB       NMP     Local DELL Enclosure Svc Dev (naa.500123f2bf000113)

naa.6001e4f01656ae000f921900875808c4  Direct-Access    /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6001e4f01656ae000f921900875808c4  69376MB   NMP     Local DELL Disk (naa.6001e4f01656ae000f921900875808c4)

naa.6001e4f01656ae000f92193c3cd34109  Direct-Access    /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6001e4f01656ae000f92193c3cd34109  418176MB  NMP     Local DELL Disk (naa.6001e4f01656ae000f92193c3cd34109)

naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c  Direct-Access    /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c  1142784MB NMP     Local DELL Disk (naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c)

naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679  Direct-Access    /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679  571136MB  NMP     Local DELL Disk (naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679)

t10.DP______BACKPLANE000000           Enclosure Svc Dev/vmfs/devices/genscsi/t10.DP______BACKPLANE000000         0MB       NMP     Local DP Enclosure Svc Dev (t10.DP______BACKPLANE000000)

how do I add naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679 and naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c back into the VMFS, without loosing all the data.

Other info (from /vmfs/volumes # esxcfg-scsidevs -l )

naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679

   Device Type: Direct-Access

   Size: 571136 MB

   Display Name: Local DELL Disk (naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679)

   Multipath Plugin: NMP

   Console Device: /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679

   Devfs Path: /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679

   Vendor: DELL      Model: PERC 5/E Adapter  Revis: 1.03

   SCSI Level: 5  Is Pseudo: false Status: on       

   Is RDM Capable: false Is Removable: false

   Is Local: true  Is SSD: false

   Other Names:

      vml.02000000006001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679504552432035

   VAAI Status: unsupported

naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c

   Device Type: Direct-Access

   Size: 1142784 MB

   Display Name: Local DELL Disk (naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c)

   Multipath Plugin: NMP

   Console Device: /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c

   Devfs Path: /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c

   Vendor: DELL      Model: PERC 5/E Adapter  Revis: 1.03

   SCSI Level: 5  Is Pseudo: false Status: on       

   Is RDM Capable: false Is Removable: false

   Is Local: true  Is SSD: false

   Other Names:

      vml.02000000006001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c504552432035

   VAAI Status: unsupported

Do I use fdisk and remake the partition? Is there anything I can do?

Jeff

[King_Robert]

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[MersoftJeff · Accepted solution]

Well that was a very general answer in a different direction. Thanks for trying.

I ended up asking VMWare for Support. Which was amazing support by the way.

The extends in my vmfs were missing. Since the Disk array put new ids on Disk when I imported them, VMware thought they were snapshots. Which make since, that id didn't match. that must be how a snapshot looks.

/var/log # esxcfg-volume -l

VMFS UUID/label: n.a./n.a.

Can mount: No (some extents missing)

Can resignature: No (some extents missing)

Extent name: naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679:1     range: 482560 - 1053439 (MB)

Extent name: naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c:1     range: 1053440 - 2195967 (MB)

The VMware engineers, moved the other extends out as well and then did a "Resignaturing volume" and it put it all back together. The moving out is very tricky - like using a hex editor and editing the partition (not shown here).

/var/log # esxcfg-volume -l

VMFS UUID/label: 496e2ada-91a1117e-4e13-001e4f142a9b/datastore1

Can mount: Yes

Can resignature: Yes

Extent name: naa.6001e4f01656ae000f921900875808c4:3     range: 0 - 64511 (MB)

Extent name: naa.6001e4f01656ae000f92193c3cd34109:1     range: 64512 - 482559 (MB)

Extent name: naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a8e3679:1     range: 482560 - 1053439 (MB)

Extent name: naa.6001e4f01999bf001b7eee6c6a616e6c:1     range: 1053440 - 2195967 (MB)

/var/log # esxcfg-volume -r 496e2ada-91a1117e-4e13-001e4f142a9b

and everything was back together.

The VMware support people know their stuff. If your stuck with this kind of problem - I would call them.