ESX 3.5 Host won't go into maintenance mode

[dwcrist]

This is my first attempt at a VI3 cluster, so my apologies in advance if this is a very elementary question.

I created a new cluster and put two new ESX 3.5 hosts into it. I checked both HA and DRS (fully automatic), and we have the licenses for it. I brought up a test VM and was able to Vmotion it from one host to another manually. I assumed (apparently naively) that I could just right-click the host, select 'Enter maintenance mode', and DRS would move the VM to the other host. All it did was stay at 2% for about 30 minutes, after which time I canceled the request. After I shut down and powered off the VM, it entered m/m just fine. I checked and there were no DRS recommendations.

I'm hoping I just failed to configure the cluster properly, because at this point I'm no better off than I am in ESX 2.5, having to manually clear off a host before doing maintenance.

Thanks for any help,

Doug

[dpomeroy]

When I have seen this it was because DRS was not set to Fully Auto, or a VM could not be moved because it had a CD-ROM drive connected.

Have you tried it with just DRS configured and not HA? Also, do you have any HA errors on the cluster?

Don Pomeroy

VMware Communities User Moderator

[dwcrist]

Don,

I can Vmotion the VM manually with no warnings, so I think we're OK there.

I turned off HA and verified that DRS is fully automated, no rules, VMs default to cluster (fully automated)

I noticed that when I tried to enter maintenance mode, I get the nasty message below. This seems to say that I have to move or shut down everything before the action will succeed. Or am I reading it incorrectly? Here's the message:

A host in maintenance mode does not perform any virtual machine related functions, including virtual machine provisioning operations. To complete entry into maintenance mode, all virtual machines must be shut down or moved to another host. Manual intervention may be required. Are you sure you want to put the selected host(s) into maintenance mode?

There is also a checkbox (checked by default): Evacuate powered off and suspended virtual machines.

Do I really have to move this stuff by hand? I thought DRS was supposed to do it for me.

Thanks,

Doug

[dwcrist]

It looks like I spoke too quickly. After I responded to the warning message, it did move the VM and put the host into m/m. So I turned HA back on and tried again. This time it warned me I might violate the HA agreement. I tried anyway, but it hung at 2%. Perhaps it not possible to use HA with only two hosts?

Doug

[dpomeroy]

I think you found your problem. What resources (CPU/RAM) do you have allocated to your test VM?

Don Pomeroy

VMware Communities User Moderator

[IB_IT]

This time it warned me I might violate the HA agreement. I tried anyway, but it hung at 2%. Perhaps it not possible to use HA with only two hosts?

Doug

When you take a host into maint mode on a cluster with two hosts, HA will give a warning. This is normal because HA technically will not work since there is only one host left in the cluster that is fully functional.

[dwcrist]

Don,

The VM has 2048 MB of memory. There are no CPU reservations. The other host (the one not going into maintenance mode) has no VMs running on it yet, so I wouldn't have thought that resources would be an issue. But what do I know?

Doug

[admin]

Yup, HA prevents the vms being evacuated because by placing that host in maintenance mode you're essentially going to cause the current failover level to go below the configured failover level (which will turn the cluster red). You can get around this by disabling HA admission control.