How to add existing storage?

[kennygno]

Hi,

I have an ESXi 3.5 server and one storage is not discovered. When I use the "Add Storage" in VMware Infrastructure Client I can see the VMFS partition, but there is a note that if I continue all data will be lost.

Now my question: How can I add this existing storage without loosing everything?

Kind regards,

kenny

[AntonVZhbankov]

This problem exists if VMFS as created on LUN presented with different LUN ID. This is why LUN should be presented to all ESX with the same ID.

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MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[AndreTheGiant]

Use lvm.resignature:

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/9453805

Andre

[kjb007]

What exactly are you trying to do? Are you trying to reuse a LUN with a VMFS? Is it shared with another host? Do you have vm's registered under that LUN already? You can use lvm.resignature as posted above. But, that will change your datastore name, and you will have to re-register your virtual machines. You can also set lvm.DisallowSnapshotLun to 0, and rescan. That should bring a snapshot LUN back online without having to rename the datastore.

-KjB

[kennygno]

Here is the complete story:

I have an HP DL380G5 with a Raid1 (ESXi) and a Raid5 (VMFS), both local. Due some hardware problems the Raid5 temporarily failed and disappeard from the ESXi. Now the Raid5 is back online and I want to add it to the ESXi again.

[kjb007]

In that scenario, I would opt for the method I described above. Go into the ESX configuration, advanced Settings, LVM, LVM.DisallowSnapshotLun, set it to 0, and then rescan your storage adapters. The VMFS datastore should come back online, as long as it is not corrupted.

-KjB

[kennygno]

The datastore isn't coming back. I will reinstall the server. Thanks for all the answers.