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SeanAm
Contributor
Contributor

ESXi problem adding addition local storage

I have installed ESXi 3.5 (build 110271) on a Supermicro AS-1040C-8B server in my QA environment. I was initially using a single local U320 300GB SCSI disk (setup as datastore1). All working fine. I want to add a second U320 300GB (same make and model) to create a second 300GB datastore. However when I go to add storage the 2nd disk does not appearin the list of device locations.

In Configuration > Storage Adapters both SCSI targets are appearing (see attachedStorageAdapterDetails.jpg). The only unusual thing I can see is that both disks appear with separate paths (wmhba3:0:0 and wmhba3:1:0) however both have the same canonical path vmhba3:0:0. Why should this occur?

The second attached image (DatastoreProperties.jpg) shows datastore1 properties. Here ESXi appear to have automatically assigned the 2nd disk as multipath or managed path to my first disk. The results of running command esxcfg-mpath -l are

Disk vmhba3:0:0 /vmfs/devices/disks/vml.02000000005000000000000000535433333030 (286102MB) has 2 paths and policy of Fixed

Local 6:3.0 vmhba3:0:0 On active preferred

Local 6:3.0 vmhba3:1:0 On

Is there a way to disable multipathing? Or is there so simpler setting I am just not familiar with that will resolve this issue? I just want to add addition disks to the server and then create datastore2 and 3 using these disks. If I add a different size disk (74GB SCSI) the disk will appear in the list of devices when adding storage.

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weinstein5
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Welcome to the forums - When trying to add storage - do you see the second disk as avaialable to be formatted as VMFS? remember adding storage is a two step process - first the storage adapter must see it and then you must format it as a VMFS datastore from the storage option and add storage - because looking at your attached images it looks fine and you should see the storage when you add a new vmfs datastore -

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SeanAm
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No. When I go to Configuration > Storage > Add Storage... wizard, select Storage Type > Disk/LUN there are no device location return. The disk does not appear hence I cannot format.

The process works if I use a different size and model of disk (74GB disk). It appears in the add storage list, formats, and then gets added as available storage.

I suspect the issue with this disk might be because the 2nd disk is an identical model to the one installed.

Not sure if this is relevant but both 300GB SCSI disk were previously used in a server as RAID0. Prior to initial installation of ESXi, I initialised and did a full reformat of both disks from the onboard RAID controller. When I boot the server both disks appear as separate 300GB volumes when RAID controller scans the SCSI devices. The ESXi storage adapter appear to pick up the disks also. The bit I would question is why both disk share the same canonical path.

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allencrawford
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I'm running ESXi 3.5 update 3 on an HP DL580 G4 with the P400 SCSI controller and having the same issue. I just need to create a small VMFS volume on the local storage (I'm running ESXi on USB) for a scratch partition to get HA to work correct (see http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=1004177&sliceId=2). But, when I go to add the storage, it does not show up. However, going to the Storage Adapters screen and clicking on the Smart Array P400, it shows the disk's SCSI target just fine. I have another server on identical hardware also running ESXi 3.5 update 3 and it works just fine.

Anybody have any ideas on this issue? I even deleted the disk array/volume and recreated it and then did the rescan and still, no luck.

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StevemanXP
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Installing ESXi U4 on a thumb drive, booting to a Dell Optiplex 745. Had to follow the directions here to add the oem.tgz to get support for the ICH8/R sata conrtoller:

When I finally could see the storage controller in ESXi, I could not see any drives to manage. I ended up going into the BIOS, I had set the SATA mode to "Legacy" as part of trying to get the controller to be detected. Setting the SATA mode int he BIOS back to "Normal" seemed to do the trick.

Now I have ESXi running from USB on a Dell Optiplex! Can't wait to get this going at home...

-Steve

dot net

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DonHess
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Hi, has anyone found a solution for this?

Thanks, Don

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steveanderson3
Contributor
Contributor

I'm now seeing this exact issue with esxi 4. I'm loading esxi 4 on two DL380 G6's, both with local sas storage. One of them can see the local disk and create datastores just fine. The other can see the target, but I'm unable to add any datastores, they do not show up in the view to add.

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DSTAVERT
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Immortal

Did the additional storage get added to an array???

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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steveanderson3
Contributor
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I replaced the chassis and now the problem disappeared. I was working with an eval unit that appeared to have had some previous configurations done to it. I wasn't able to find a root cause, but I do not think this was ESX related.

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steveanderson3
Contributor
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I don't have a reason why right now, but if you use the vi client directly to an esxi 4 host, you can see and add the local storage. Going to the same host through virtual center, I cannot see or add the storage through the GUI.

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merc235
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We recently had the exact issue described above. In our case we were trying to install ESXi 4 on a server that had previously been set up with ESX 4. After installing ESXi 4 we couldn't select the local disk array to use for a local datastore. We ended up deleting the disk array, re-creating it, and then installing ESXi 4 again. After this we could then select the local disk array through vCenter Server and allocate all free space to a new local datastore. I'm not sure why, but maybe there is some issue with installing ESXi 4 on a server that already has partitions set (or possibly one that has a vmfs partition already)...

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mgenelin
Contributor
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Interesting reading up on the docs and this thread.

The way I read this (and the VMware 3.5 docs at:)

Server Config: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3i_e/r35/vi3_35_25_3i_server_config.pdf

ESXi installable setup guide: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3i_i/r35/vi3_35_25_3i_i_setup.pdf

and

VM Machine backup guide: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35/vi3_35_25_vm_backup.pdf

The Server Config Guide clearly has the Logical Drive already added to a hardware raid array. It appears to this reader that there are no software RAID array options in ESXi, and that ESXi relies on hardware RAID-whatever to present a logical drive, or LUN to the ESXi OS.

So, I'd say:

1. Transition your Virtual Machines off of this ESXi box to another box,

2. Down the ESXi box and use the built-in raid controller software (local console) to build an additional (new) RAID device / drive.

3. Reboot the ESXi server and configure the new LUN Raid Device / drive using the VM Infrastrucure Client. Tip: Use the VM filesystem type stuff.

4. Add this new VM filesystem thing Device / Container / whatever it's called as an "extent" to your existing filesystem.

5. Watch the disk space grow!

...Anyone have any luck without downing the box using the VM Infra. Client. on this thread? I am interested in hearing it. I don't see software or any kind of software-while-hot options in the VM Infra. Client configuration dealie for VM ESXi 3.5.

-matt

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Lyle
Contributor
Contributor

I am running into this on 2 IBM servers with SAS controllers running vSphere ESXi with Update 1 installed. I added an additional Disk and expanded the Raid 5 array through the IBM ServeRaid Software, I know it finished merging the partition because vSphere 4 sees the additional disk space under the "Storage Adapters" registering 205GB, however under "Storage" it only registers 131GB. If I attempt to "Increase" the existing VMFS volume or "Add Storage" to create a new volume nothing shows even after rebooting the server.

Lyle

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bradhs123
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Lyle,

I've got the exact same problem. Capacity is 2.72 TB but when I am creating storage only 740GB isavailable. Not all of the capacity is available. ESXi 4.0.0 208167

Let me know if you figure this out.

Thanks

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DSTAVERT
Immortal
Immortal

You need to create arrays smaller than 2TB. ESX(i) does not support LUNs larger than 2TB.

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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DocBrown1972
Contributor
Contributor

Hello

Just wondered if anyone solved this as I have a similar problem

I add another disk which is unfortunately identical to another one in the computer already and it esci just adds another path to the existing datastore instead of letting me choose what to do with it.

Thanks

Neil

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