Problem creating SAN partitions in ESX 3.0.2

[jkeogh]

I have a prolem with creating a new partition on a LUN created on a SAN using the Vi3 client. Here's a little history: I have two DL-585 dual proc servers connected through a fibre channel switch to a MSA1000 SAN. I started out with ESX 2.5.0 and at that time and used it's GUI interface to create 2 LUNs on the SAN . One had about a TB of space and was carved up into 6 partitions. The second had about 300GB and was carved into a single partition. Since that time, I upgraded the ESX servers, VMs and LUN partitions to run on Vi3 (ESX 3.0.2) which is where I'm at now. I used Vi3 2.0 client to remove two partitions on the first LUN with the intention of creating one larger partition using the free space. I went to try and create the new partition by opening "Configuration" | "Add Storage" | "Disk/LUN" and got a blank window where the existing LUNs and partitions should be. Can you tell me how I get the window to display the existing LUNs and partitions on the SAN so I can create the new partition?

Thanks In advance!

[Chamon]

Did you run

vmkfstools -s from the service console?

This is from the service console guide. This will also align the disk. IT WILL FORMAT THE PARTITION!

1. On service console, execute fdisk /dev/sd<x> where sd<x> is the device on which you would like to create the VMFS. (To find this run esxcfg-vmhbadevs)

2. Type "n" to create a new partition.

3. Type "p" to create a primary partition.

4. Type "1" to create partition #1.

5. Select the defaults to use the complete disk.

6. Type "x" to get into expert mode.

7. Type "b" to specify the starting block for partitions.

8. Type "1" to select partition #1.

9. Type "128" to make partition #1 to align on 64KB boundary.

10. Type "r" to return to the main menu.

11. Type "t" to change partition type.

12. Type "1" to select partition #1.

13. Type "fb" to set the type to fb (VMFS volume).

14. Type "w" to write label and the partition information to disk.

[jkeogh]

Thanks for your suggestion. I did some testing on a simalar system with the same issue. When I created a new LUN on the SAN and did a rescan, I was able to control the new LUN using the "Add Storage" interface. It would allow me to create one volume, but no more than one. I was able to extend the volume to the full amount of free disk space though which is at least a step forward. Also, if the LUN was too large (I went from 300GB to 997GB) it would not let me create the initial volume. It told me that it was "unable to read the disk partition". I tried your fdisk trick and then tried to create the volume again using "Add Storage". It changed to telling me that I had the option of using the available free space or creating a new volume using all the LUN space (destroying the existing volume in the process).

The ESX 2.5.3 version allows me to create several volumes on the same LUN using various file systems. I guess somewhere along the way things changed. I was hoping for a way to get the "Add Storage" interface to create multiple volumes on the same LUN.

[Chamon]

I believe that there can only be one VMFS volume per partition.

[Chamon]

Here is the guide for the above information. It has helped me a lot.

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/docs/vmwdocs/ESX3.x-VC2.x-ServiceConsole-Guide.pdf

[tklose · Accepted solution]

I had a similar problem. See if this applies

My other pair of ESX hosts had RDM files/luns in use.

The new pair would not succeed in scanning for new luns and would have a blank window.

workaround: If all esx hosts are viewing the same luns, add the storage from the working set...then rescan and the other hosts will see it.

You can mask the offending luns from being detected by specifc hosts.... Here are my notes and my syntax for the mask....

Hope this helps

___________________________________________________________________________

There is a bug that scanning for luns hangs because of the Windows Cluster service puts locks on the RAW luns.

On the servers that do not need to see these RAW luns, use the Disk.MaskLun feature to block them from view.

If the path changes due to hw changes, you may need to change these.

See VM KB #2057

• a. Choose Options > Advanced Settings.

• b. Locate the option named Disk.MaskLUN.

vmhba1:0:6-8;vmhba1:1:6;vmhba2:0:6-8;vmhba2:1:6-8

______________________________________________________

[jkeogh]

I plan to reconfigure the SAN to create a LUN with a single volume this weekend. In testing that was the best solution and allowed me to recover a half TB of disk space along the way. Thanks for the help and great sugestions!