Change preferred/active HBA for Boot-from-SAN volume via Command Line instead of VMware Infrastructure Client "Manage Paths" option

[gittro]

Hello:

I've got a new SAN set up (Sun 6140) with IBM Blade Servers (HS21 XM's). The blade is running VMware ESX V3.5. It's a Boot-from-SAN config which is working fine, except that the Sun management software (Comman Array Manager) is complaining that the Boot-from-SAN VMware volume is not on the preferred controller. I had the same issue with the first SAN-based VMFS partition I created on this Vmware host, however that was easy to resolve via the VMware Infrastructure Client - just highlight the LUN and choose the Manage Paths option, and change the path to the second HBA of the pair.

However, I can't do that for the Boot-from-SAN LUN, since obviously it's in use by VMware. I assume there must be some command line equivalent I can do instead of using the VMware Infrastucture Client so that I can change the contents of some boot file, and then reboot VMware and it should then start up and use the second HBA of the pair for Booting-from-SAN. Trouble is I don't know where to find that file and what should be changed.

I can't seem to find anything on-line, or perhaps my search terms are not refined enough. Can anyone assist in how to change the preferred HBA via Command Line from the VMware Console? Is there some document or KB article I missed?

Many thanks for any information.

[Guillir]

I think you just need to change that configuration on HBA BIOS, not in ESX Server.

Are your HBAs Qlogic or Emulex?

Take a look at http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35/vi3_35_25_san_cfg.pdf page 71

[gittro]

Thanks for the tip - I can boot the blade and go into the QLogic HBA setup (Ctrl-Q) and change the "enabled" HBA to the second one rather than the first one - i.e. disable first HBA, and enable second HBA - reversing the current configuration.

I'll try that and confirm whether or not it worked.

Back to you shortly....

[gittro]

Excellent - I changed the active HBA to the second one, via the QLogic BIOS settings, rebooted the blade and let VMware restart.

Interestingly, in the VMware Infrastructure Client the primary path was still set to the first HBA, but this time the GUI allowed me to change the preferred path to the second one, without complaint.

This also resolved the volume issue as seen by Sun CAM - the Boot-from-SAN volume is now linked to its "preferred controller".

Many thanks Guillir

You were 100% correct! FULL POINTS to you - if there is such a thing!