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Unable to recerate local VMFS after deletion (3.5)

I have 7 ESX servers that had local VMFS, I wanted to quickly wipe and recreate them. I was able to wipe them successfully but when I try to re-create them the storage does not appear for me to format on all of them. any ideas?

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Texiwill
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Hello,

YOu just wanted to recreate the VMFS and nothing else? You may have to do this by hand on each system instead of using the VIC (I assume you are using the VIC). THat is use vmkfstools targeting the partition in question. If the partition was deleted you will most likely need to recreate it.


Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll

Top Virtualization Security Links: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Top_Virtualization_Security_Links

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
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admin
Immortal
Immortal

The strange thing is I can do it on some and not on others, which is the odd thing?

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Texiwill
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Hello,

Run fdisk -l from a system that works and one that does not, what is different? I would agree, very odd.


Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll

Top Virtualization Security Links: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Top_Virtualization_Security_Links

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Using fdisk -l

From the host I deleted the local storage and was able to recreate now shows

Disk /dev/cciss/c0d0: 146.7 GB, 146778685440 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 17844 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/cciss/c0d0p1 * 1 26 208813+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p2 27 1071 8393962+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p3 1072 1275 1638630 82 Linux swap

/dev/cciss/c0d0p4 1276 17844 133090492+ f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)

/dev/cciss/c0d0p5 1276 1797 4192933+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p6 1798 2319 4192933+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p7 2320 2841 4192933+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p8 2842 17830 120399059 fb Unknown

/dev/cciss/c0d0p9 17831 17844 112423+ fc Unknown

From the host I deleted the local vmfs and I'm unable to recreate local vmfs shows

Disk /dev/cciss/c0d0: 146.7 GB, 146778685440 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 17844 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/cciss/c0d0p1 * 1 26 208813+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p2 27 1071 8393962+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p3 1072 1275 1638630 82 Linux swap

/dev/cciss/c0d0p4 1276 17844 133090492+ f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)

/dev/cciss/c0d0p5 1276 1797 4192933+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p6 1798 2319 4192933+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p7 2320 2841 4192933+ 83 Linux

/dev/cciss/c0d0p8 17831 17844 112423+ fc Unknown

any ideas please

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

I used VI client direct to each host and was then able to create all the local VMFS partitions on all hosts, wierd

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Its a bug

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Texiwill
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Hello,

Sounds like it to me. Interesting that the fc type partition is after the VMFS LUN (type fb) on this one. THat sounds backwards to me..... Perhaps it is looking for space at the end of the LUN in order to add the partition. Is this the way it is on all your hosts?


Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll

Top Virtualization Security Links: http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Top_Virtualization_Security_Links

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill