VMWARE ESXi 4.1 : add a DATASTORE via a new 4To SATA HDD

[zoummuoz]

Hi all,
Thank's all for the support and the great job you provide !

I'm not a VMWARE specialist.
I'm on a DELL T610, with a VMWARE ESXi 4.1. Severals virtuals machines run on a RAID5 grap with a PERC6i controler.
The SATA CDROM drive is visible and usable on the hypervisor.
Actually i add a 4To sata drive (Seagate ST4000NM0033).

I see my HDD in the BIOS and i see it too on the vmware console :

/dev/disks # esxcfg-mpath -l
........
sata.vmhba34-sata.0:0-t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC
Runtime Name: vmhba34:C0:T0:L0
Device: t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC
Device Display Name: Local ATA Disk 4To
Adapter: vmhba34 Channel: 0 Target: 0 LUN: 0
Adapter Identifier: sata.vmhba34
Target Identifier: sata.0:0
Plugin: NMP
State: active
Transport: sata
.....

Or :

/dev/disks # esxcfg-mpath -b
naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585 : Local DELL Disk (naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585)
vmhba1:C2:T0:L0 LUN:0 state:active Local HBA vmhba1 channel 2 target 0

mpx.vmhba0:C0:T0:L0 : Local TSSTcorp CD-ROM (mpx.vmhba0:C0:T0:L0)
vmhba0:C0:T0:L0 LUN:0 state:active Local HBA vmhba0 channel 0 target 0

t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC : Local ATA Disk 4To
vmhba34:C0:T0:L0 LUN:0 state:active Local HBA vmhba34 channel 0 target 0

t10.DP______BACKPLANE000000 : Local DP Enclosure Svc Dev (t10.DP______BACKPLANE000000)
vmhba1:C0:T32:L0 LUN:0 state:active Local HBA vmhba1 channel 0 target 32

Or:

/dev/disks # ls -l
........
-rw------- 1 root root 0 Sep 3 15:48 t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 73 Sep 3 15:48 vml.01000000002020202020202020202020205a315a3138454b43535434303030 -> t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC
.........

===========================================================================

BUT : i can't add a partion on it :

fdisk -u t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

I can't use the graphical console of the hypervisor, if I add a storage LUN, nothing in the list ... I can not add ... I do not see it.

Do you have a track for me to move? Forums and doc vmware did not allow me to unlock my brain () ...

Thank's all for your interest and help.

[zoummuoz]

no solution to date
you have an idea of ​​the trouble?

[SatyS]

You can always create a new partition using partedUtil command.

-SatyS

[zoummuoz]

Thanks for you response and interest.

I've try it, the result :

/dev/disks # ls

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585:1

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585:2

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585:3

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585:4

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585:5

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585:6

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585:7

naa.6842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585:8

t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

vml.01000000002020202020202020202020205a315a3138454b43535434303030

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036:1

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036:2

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036:3

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036:4

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036:5

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036:6

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036:7

vml.02000000006842b2b0092e9100141774ac16c2a585504552432036:8

/dev/disks #

/dev/disks # partedUtil getptbl /vmfs/devices/disks/t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

Error: Error opening /dev/disks/t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC: Bad file descriptor

Unable to get device /vmfs/devices/disks/t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

/dev/disks #

[SatyS]

Just check the status of your device whether its offline or not using

#esxcli storage core device list -d <NAA_ID>

Check the disk status in output.

If it is not offline,

Do an fdisk -l /vmfs/devices/disks/DeviceName

Make note of the Id and System values.

Depending on the value of these fields, the ESX/ESXi host may not be able to understand the contents of the disk device, and refuse to make any changes.

To allow the host to make any modifications to this volume, the volume must have an msdos partition or no partition at all.

So better change the partition type to msdos using partedUtil command.

I think your partition is causing the trouble.

Regards,

SatyS

If you find this useful,mark the answer as correct/helpful

[zoummuoz]

Thanks

I do :

/dev/disks # esxcli corestorage device list

........

t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

    Display Name: Local ATA Disk 4To

    Size: 0

    Device Type: Direct-Access

    Multipath Plugin: NMP

    Devfs Path: /vmfs/devices/disks/t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

    Vendor: ATA

    Model: ST4000NM0033-9ZM

    Revision: SN03

    SCSI Level: 5

    Is Pseudo: false

    Status: on

    Is RDM Capable: false

    Is Local: true

    Is Removable: false

    Attached Filters:

    VAAI Status: unknown

    Other UIDs: vml.01000000002020202020202020202020205a315a3138454b43535434303030

.....

/dev/disks #

Then STATUS : ok.

Next :

/dev/disks # fdisk -l /vmfs/devices/disks/t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

/dev/disks #

No error, no partition ...

Then, i ttry to create a new one :

/dev/disks # fdisk -u /vmfs/devices/disks/t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

fdisk: cannot open /vmfs/devices/disks/t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC

/dev/disks #

???

I found this : http://www.vexperienced.co.uk/2012/01/02/error-adding-datastores-to-esxi-resolved-using-partedutil/

It look like my problem, but i'm on 4.1 and the command partedUtil mklabel is not present :

/dev/disks # partedUtil mklabel /vmfs/devices/disks/t10.ATA_____ST4000NM00332D9ZM170_________________________________Z1Z18EKC msdos

Usage:

Get Partitions : get <diskName>

Set Partitions : set <diskName> ["partNum startSector endSector type attr"]*

Delete Partition : delete <diskName> <partNum>

Resize Partition : resize <diskName> <partNum> <start> <end>

Get Partitions : getptbl <diskName>

Set Partitions : setptbl <diskName> <label> ["partNum startSector endSector type/guid attr"]*

[SatyS]

Anyways you can use fdisk command itself for creating partition.

Just give fdisk

'm' will display the menu and 'l' will list all partition types.

From this select appropriate one.And assign partition type.

Note:Only msdos label and gptpartitioning scheme is used by ESXi/ESX.

Regards,

SatyS

If you find this useful,mark the answer as correct/helpful

[NagangoudaPatil · Accepted solution]

ESXi 4.1 disk limit is 2TB minus 512 bytes, ESXi 4.1 will not recognize more than 2TB, check for other options as well. 

[SatyS]

Is your issue resolved?

[zoummuoz]

Big thank you to all for your interest and your help.
I'll change the disc and go on a 2TB!

Good day.

[zoummuoz]

Hi all,

Thank's to NagangoudaPatil, you're rigth !

The limit in ESXi 4.1 is 2To. I bought a new 2To disk -> all is good, everything works.