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iainh667
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ESX 3.5 can't see Datastores, (but the HBAs can)

I have an issue with several ESX servers that I'm trying to bring online.

They're using a SAN, and the LUNs are correctly setup and are listed under the Storage Adapaters configuration page. However they are not listed under the Storage configuration.

I've tried adding Datastores, but the LUNs are not listed. I've also tried rescanning the HBAs and even rebooting the host. The LUNs still do not appear.

Also, a couple of live servers in the same farm have "dropped" LUNs from their inventory. I'm very reluctant to carry out a rescan on the live Hosts in case it drops the rest of the LUNs.

Anyone seen this before?

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bulletprooffool
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iain,

If you can see them, then your zoning is OK, but if you are unable to access them, you will need to verify that your LUN masking is set up correctly.]

Verify both your zoning and your masking and let us know how you get on

One day I will virtualise myself . . .

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krowczynski
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Probalby you have doing some changes in your zoning or so?

MCP, VCP3 , VCP4
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iainh667
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Update - these ESX Hosts have been cloned. I'm not sure if that's part of the problem.

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Gerrit_Lehr
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Why did you clone them? That is not realy best practise and might indeed lead to problems.

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

If you found this or other information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful".

Kind regards, Gerrit Lehr If you found this or other information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful".
iainh667
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It's not my design, I didn't clone them - someone else did. I've been told to get them online.

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bulletprooffool
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iain,

If you can see them, then your zoning is OK, but if you are unable to access them, you will need to verify that your LUN masking is set up correctly.]

Verify both your zoning and your masking and let us know how you get on

One day I will virtualise myself . . .
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krowczynski
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Well that is not a good procedure.

You must configure you host step by step to see if all you functions workingproperly.

Or you use Hostprofiles in vsphere!

Now the error you are looking for could be verry difficult to find out!!

MCP, VCP3 , VCP4
iainh667
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Ther's been some progress on this.

My new ESX Hosts can now see the LUNs however they don't recognise them as being used.

Looks like something in the estate has wiped the partition information from the LUNs. A colleague of mine thinks that it is due to the VCB servers automounting the LUNs. The 2 ESX servers which are currently live can still see the information, but it is likely that they'll lose connectivityIf they are rebooted/shutdown.

http://www.virtualizationteam.com/virtualization-vmware/vmware-vi3-virtualization-vmware/vmware-esx-...

Looks like we'll be

1) Checking that each VM has a good set of backups

2) Provisioning a new LUN to the live ESX hosts (and crossing fingers that we don't lose the existing ones)

3) Storage vmotion the VMs onto the new LUN

4) Apply a new Partition table to the existing LUN

5) Repeat steps 3) + 4) until all LUNs have been tackled.

Many thanks for everyone's input. I know that cloning isn't a good idea, but in this case, I don't think its been the cause of the problem.

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