Unable to read partition information from this disk

[JamesDS-RBG]

Hi

I've been unable to use VIConsole to add a Storage LUN to my ESX 3.0.1 box:

From Configuration | Storage | Add Storage | Disk/LUN...

I have the option to add vmhba1:0:0. However, when I try to do so, I get the message "Unable to read partition information from this disk" and the wizard cannot proceed.

I've read this thread: http://www.wmware.com/community/message.jspa?messageID=613797 (didn't help)

I've tried everything else that comes back off a google search, also without success.

I've tried these commands:

fdisk /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0

command: d

command: w

fdisk /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0

command: n

action: p

partition: 1

first cylinder: 1

last cylinder: 261083

command: w

fdisk -l /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0 (to confirm, returns next)

Disk /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0: 2147.4 GB, 2147484696064 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 261083 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0p1 1 261083 2097149166 83 Linux

So, it all seems fine. Except I still can't add the storage to ESX.

Then tried:

vmkfstools -C vmfs3 /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:1

And got back: "Device or resource busy"

I've tried all this more than once with reboots of the ESX box in between.

The LUN consists of an MSA20 (HP Storage Shelf) connected to a SmartArray 6400 controller. There is another smaller LUN of 300+Gb also on the shelf that presented fine to ESX, but the big LUN (slightly less than 2Tb) wont present.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

JamesDS

[jrh910]

By chance, do you have hardware monitoring agents like HP Management Agents running on this box? I've seen the agents grab hold of a LUN and return errors like that. Stop the agents and see if that helps.

From memory, the way to stop the HP agents is something like this:

#/etc/init.d/hpasm stop

to get them running again after you get your LUNs situated use

#/etc/init.d/hpasm start

[JamesDS-RBG]

Good answer, but no cigar i'm afraid. The box IS and HP DL385G2, but the agents are not installed.

Thanks

Cheers

JamesDS

[christianZ]

I've tried these commands:

fdisk /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0

command: d

command: w

fdisk /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0

command: n

action: p

partition: 1

first cylinder: 1

last cylinder: 261083

command: w

fdisk -l /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0 (to

confirm, returns next)

Disk /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0: 2147.4 GB,

2147484696064 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 261083 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start

End Blocks Id System

devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:0p1 1 261083

2097149166 83 Linux

You should change the type to "fb"

So, it all seems fine. Except I still can't add the

storage to ESX.

Then try again

Then tried:

vmkfstools -C vmfs3 /vmfs/devices/disks/vmhba1:0:0:1

>

[JamesDS-RBG]

This didn't work the first time, but did work after power cycling the MSA20 and trying again. It turns out that the the SCSI controller card had data in it's cache from the previous installation that had not been committed, and would not clear until both server and MSA20 had been power cycled.

Thanks for your help, all sorted now.

Cheers

JamesDS