VMware Cloud Community
jobee1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

ESXi can see new datastore but vCenter can't

Hey all, I'm adding a Synology RS1619xs+ to my VMware 7.0 system and my hosts can see the storage but vCenter can't. I've rescanned and refreshed from the hosts in vCenter and from the cluster but no joy. while in vCenter I can go to the host > Configure > Storage > Storage Devices and I can see the NAS. In the Datastore column it does say "Not Consumed," but Googling this hasn't helped yet. I have other Synology NAS'es in my vCenter but this last one is very uncooperative. I can't figure out what's going on. Any ideas? Suggestions? Recommendations? 

Thanks

Joe B 

Reply
0 Kudos
11 Replies
Ajay1988
Expert
Expert

Remove NAS from all ESXi's and add NAS to only one ESXi first and check . If it works share NAS configuration using vCenter to other hosts. 

If you think your queries have been answered
Mark this response as "Correct" or "Helpful".

Regards,
AJ
Reply
0 Kudos
jobee1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Well, that datastore is now showing up under each of my hosts in vCenter, and they all show it as "Attached," but when I try to do a storage vMotion that datastore isn't an option. Also, checking the hosts from within vCenter this NAS has a status of "Not Consumed." 

I just went back to my hosts and that datastore shows up in Devices, but not in Datastores. I've never had this much trouble getting a NAS going. What are some other things I should check? 

Thanks,

Joe B 

Reply
0 Kudos
depping
Leadership
Leadership

HOw is the datastore presented to the host? iSCSI? NFS?

Reply
0 Kudos
jobee1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

The datastore is connecting to the host through an iSCSI connection. 

Thanks, 

Joe B 

Reply
0 Kudos
depping
Leadership
Leadership

just try to mount it via the CLI:

List all volumes:

esxcfg-volume –l

Copy the identifier of the volume and mount it using:

esxcfg-volume –M <uuid>

jobee1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Good afternoon, 

I came back to look for responses and saw that I never gave you my reply...

when I do esxcfg-volume –l I get the following: 

[root@localhost:~] esxcfg-volume –l
esxcfg-volume <options>
-l|--list List all volumes which have been
detected as snapshots/replicas.
-m|--mount <VMFS UUID|label> Mount a snapshot/replica volume, if
its original copy is not online.
-u|--umount <VMFS UUID|label> Umount a snapshot/replica volume.
-r|--resignature <VMFS UUID|label> Resignature a snapshot/replica volume.
-M|--persistent-mount <VMFS UUID|label> Mount a snapshot/replica volume
persistently, if its original copy is
not online.
-U|--upgrade <VMFS UUID|label> Upgrade a VMFS3 volume to VMFS5.
-h|--help Show this message.
[root@localhost:~]

I found another site that said to try esxcli storage nmp device list and I got this: 

[root@localhost:~] esxcli storage nmp device list
naa.6001405b23e982dd7096d43afd9c2dd8
Device Display Name: Pri-VMNAS
Storage Array Type: VMW_SATP_ALUA
Storage Array Type Device Config: {implicit_support=on; explicit_support=off; explicit_allow=on; alua_followover=on; action_OnRetryErrors=off; {TPG_id=0,TPG_state=AO}}
Path Selection Policy: VMW_PSP_MRU
Path Selection Policy Device Config: Current Path=vmhba64:C0:T3:L1
Path Selection Policy Device Custom Config:
Working Paths: vmhba64:C0:T3:L1
Is USB: false

I tried using my UUID in esxcfg-volume –M <uuid> and once again got this: 

[root@localhost:~] esxcfg-volume –M naa.6001405b23e982dd7096d43afd9c2dd8
esxcfg-volume <options>
-l|--list List all volumes which have been
detected as snapshots/replicas.
-m|--mount <VMFS UUID|label> Mount a snapshot/replica volume, if
its original copy is not online.
-u|--umount <VMFS UUID|label> Umount a snapshot/replica volume.
-r|--resignature <VMFS UUID|label> Resignature a snapshot/replica volume.
-M|--persistent-mount <VMFS UUID|label> Mount a snapshot/replica volume
persistently, if its original copy is
not online.
-U|--upgrade <VMFS UUID|label> Upgrade a VMFS3 volume to VMFS5.
-h|--help Show this message.
[root@localhost:~]

Any ideas, suggestions, or recommendations? 

Thanks, 

Joe B

Reply
0 Kudos
depping
Leadership
Leadership

is this a production environment? may as well contact support, that command works perfectly fine in my environment. there's something weird, "esxcfg-volume -l" should just presents list, and -M should mount.

Reply
0 Kudos
Seniore
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Joe,
Have you already created a datastore on the storage device?
"Not consumed" also shows up when there's actually no datastore on the device (LUN).

In terms of the commands that Duncan shared - please try to type them in the console.
Copy/paste puts a different hyphen thus the unexpected response.

 

Reply
0 Kudos
jobee1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Seniore, this device is going to be the fourth Synology NAS I've put in my cluster. It's configured with iSCSI and I just checked - the LUN is healthy and I see all three of my hosts have connected to it. 

Gentlemen, if I manually type the esxcfg-volume -l and hit enter nothing happens; it looks like a normal carriage return. I will go ahead and contact support. Thanks for the suggestions. Once support gets this issue fixed I will come back and post their answer. 

Thanks, 

Joe B 

Reply
0 Kudos
Seniore
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

The empty result "esxcfg-volume -l" shows that no LUN/device has been recognized as a snapshot/replica.

My best guess at the moment is that there is no datastore created on top of the device (the actual filesystem might be missing) .
If you want to continue troubleshooting at your own you can check the following commands:

  • esxcfg-scsidevs -c
  • esxcfg-scsidevs -m
  • esxcli storage filesystem list
  • partedUtil getptbl /dev/disks/naa.6001405b23e982dd7096d43afd9c2dd8

The last one should display if the device contains a VMFS partition.
Additional commands can be found here: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1014953
The datastore creation part is described here: https://masteringvmware.com/how-to-add-iscsi-datastore/  (step 11)

jobee1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I just finished speaking with Dan at VMware and I learned that there was no filesystem on the datastore. This is the first time I had to install an FS on a Synology NAS, but if it happens again I have the instructions in my HELP! folder. 

For those of you who are here because of the same issue the fix was quick, easy, and simple (I could use more of those fixes). In vCenter click on Inventory, then the cluster, and then ACTIONS up above by the cluster name. Then go to Storage and then New Datastore. Select VMFS as the Type, click on NEXT, and that was where my datastore was patiently waiting for me. Except for the datastore name, Dan had me leave the rest of the options with their default values. I hope this helps others. 

Thanks to Deppiing and Seniore for their help and direction. And sorry Depping, I never thought to ask Dan why your esxcfg command wouldn't work; he was using esxcfg commands in his work.  

Joe B 

Reply
0 Kudos