remove "inaccessable" datastore from VCenter appliance inventory.

[MikeOD]

I am trying to find out how to remove two datastores marked “inaccessible” from the VCenter appliance version 6.0update2

We have two datacenters, each with it’s own VCenter appliance.  We had a host in one VCenter that had access to two datastores attached over fiber channel.  That host was imported into the second VCenter using the "add host", so it wasn’t properly removed from the first VCenter.

The result is that there are two datastores in the first vcenter that have no hosts associated with them.  They’re showing as “inaccessible” and are grayed out.  Most the functions such as “delete” “unmount”, etc. are also grayed out.

Is there any easy, safe way to remove them?  I did some searching and all I seemed to find were references to NFS datastores, and/or modifying the database on a Windows based VCenter.  I found articles about removing a datastore from a host, but in this case there are no hosts attached to this datastore. 

I'm looking for something like the "remove from inventory" option that exists for hosts

Mike O.

[bayupw]

Hi, could you try to:

1. Connect directly to ESXi using vSphere Client and try to remove the datastore from ESXi

or

2. Connect directly to ESXi using vSphere Client, try to rename the datastore then remove the datastore from ESXi

[rcporto]

There are still running virtual machines on the old vCenter with that may have reference (like mounted ISO, even on a old snapshot) to the datastore that was moved to the new vCenter?

[MikeOD]

The problem is that there is no ESXI host on that VCenter that is connected to that datastore.  The ESXI host was moved to a different VCenter.    VCenter shows the datastore, in it's list of datastores, but there are no VM's, or hosts associated with it.

[MikeOD]

I figured it out.  I was double checking on VM's on those datastores.  Under "related objects", there were no VM's or hosts, but there were two old templates that were still referenced by the original VCenter.  When I right clicked on the template and selected "remove from inventory", the data stores disappeared.

[smynes]

Didn't think to look for an old snapshot - that did the trick.  Thanks!

[UnicomClint]

Thanks MikeD----This worked for me - - worked GREAT - Thank you - I had been fighting for over 6 hours

[AveryFreeman]

Ugh thank god this finally worked for me too

What a nightmare this was

[Vipink1]

@MikeOD How did you find the references?

[IRIX201110141]

You should have a Snapshot check within your environment. At least you can use the RVtools to get an overview and they also list  Snapshots.

Regards,
Joerg

[jhammer2000]

RVTools is great, another quick way to find snapshots is with PowerCLI

Get-VM | Get-Snapshot | Select-Object Description, Created, VM

[davecasty_avs]

We were able to resolved this by rescanning the storage on each host in vcenter.

Right click the Host, choose Storage>Rescan Storage.

This cleared up all the inaccessible datastores.

[MattFahrner]

Also take a look at VMs that were installed from an ISO on one host, then cloned to another host. If the ISO "CD" is not unmounted (eg: CD/DVD drive isn't say set to "Client Device"), then it will hold onto the storage. This has been my problem more than once.

You may have to walk all of your VMs across your hosts to find the offending VM that still has the ISO remote mounted.

[jhonallen86]

Guys, but I'll tell you what I did to solve it:
1st - Place the host in maintenance so that all the Vm's are removed from the Cluster;
2nd - Remove the host from the Cluster:
Click on connection then on disconnect;
3rd click on remove from inventory;
4th Access the isolated esxi host and try to remove the datastore with problem. Often you don't even need to remove it. If the datastore is inaccessible it is automatically removed.
After that, just insert the host in the vcenter again and assign it to the Cluster.
This worked for me I had a similar problem.