Upgrade fails with System.IO.IOException: I/O error occurred

[bonne1]

Trying to install ESXi400-201002401-BG, ESXi400-201002402-BG on some systems using vSphere Host Update Utility. Some works fine, others fail.

One system fails with:

"System.IO.IOException: I/O error occurred"

This one is an installation that boots on a USB-stick. I imagine that the partition table of the stick does not leave enough free space for the update. On one of the failing systems, df -h returns the following output:

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 182.4M 35.8M 84% /

vfat 285.9M 264.5M 21.4M 93% /vmfs/volumes/c2a427e4-2d317086-fef9-b5750d88536c

vfat 249.7M 60.5M 189.2M 24% /vmfs/volumes/7c7b15ea-54f861ef-a388-473f43007b89

vfat 249.7M 59.3M 190.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/4b72c5e3-3a61e05b-ed4c-b9b6da83be5c

The stick is a 2 GB stick, but the installation apparently only partitions around 1GB data for storage.

On the system where the upgrade works, I ran df -h a number of times during the upgrade:

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/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 183.1M 35.2M 84% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 24.3M 4.0G 1% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 182.2M 36.1M 83% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 46.3M 4.0G 1% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 182.2M 36.1M 83% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 74.5M 3.9G 2% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 182.3M 36.0M 84% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 98.3M 3.9G 2% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 182.3M 36.0M 84% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 108.3M 3.9G 3% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 182.3M 36.0M 84% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 115.6M 3.9G 3% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 182.4M 35.9M 84% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 142.0M 3.9G 3% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 218.8M -572.0k 100% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 176.6M 3.8G 4% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 249.9M -31.6M 114% /

vfat 285.9M 242.7M 43.2M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 176.6M 3.8G 4% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

/vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557 # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 249.9M -31.6M 114% /

vfat 285.9M 223.1M 62.8M 78% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 4.0G 176.6M 3.8G 4% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

After upgrade

~ # df -h

Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on

visorfs 218.3M 181.1M 37.2M 83% /

vfat 285.9M 243.3M 42.6M 85% /vmfs/volumes/e00f98e1-2bcc0c91-e7a2-3487611c1557

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ab49947e-ec35530f-62b1-a6e88c946a1e

vfat 4.0G 3.3M 4.0G 0% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-aaf48127-a0c8-0025b3249484

vfat 249.7M 60.3M 189.4M 24% /vmfs/volumes/ebdacc79-0269ce43-bee5-12c36af12735

vmfs3 131.8G 25.6G 106.2G 19% /vmfs/volumes/4a44e3e9-bfd59a8a-c493-0025b3249484

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Which tells me, that the upgrade apparently uses the visorfs and one of the vfat's.

If I am correct about my conclutions about the system having to little space for the upgrade to complete, then how to complete the upgrade successfully on these systems?

Regards, Lars.

[AndreTheGiant]

There isn't enough space for the upgrade.

Check on http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40_u1/vsp_40_u1_upgrade_guide.pdf the required space.

But I suggest to reinstall in a clean way (to use all your 2 GB space).

Andre

[bonne1]

Yeah, but I am pretty sure, that a clean "i" install partitions the disk like that.

Regards, Lars.

[Sreejesh_D]

Lars, it looks like the issue is with the space constraint in the following partition, it has only 21Mb of free space. It happens if /var/core has old core dumps. Please try upgrade after cleaning up this folder.

> vfat 285.9M 264.5M 21.4M 93%

/vmfs/volumes/c2a427e4-2d317086-fef9-b5750d88536c

:+: VCP3, VCP4, RHCE, EMCPA.

[bonne1]

Nothing to delete in /var/core - it is emtpy.

Can't I just mount the free space and make the upgrade use this space for upgrading?

If so... what should I mount it as?

Regards, Lars.

[bonne1]

I have been replacing the USB-stick that I boot the ESX on with a larger one (4GB).

Data has been copied with dd, and now I actually don't know how to be able to use this extra space.

What I want ti do is to mount an extra partition as, let's say "/temp" and then configure this in the vSphere client advanced features as the new scratch disk. I think that this will solve my problems with the failing upgrade (?)

fdisk -l gives me:

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p1 5 1886 1927168 5 Extended

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p4 * 1 4 4080 4 FAT16 <32M

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p5 5 254 255984 6 FAT16

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p6 255 504 255984 6 FAT16

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p7 505 614 112624 fc VMKcore

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p8 615 1352 755696 6 FAT16

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p9 1353 1886 546800 fb VMFS

where /dev/disks/mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0p9 is the new partition that I would like to mount as temp

but I am a bit stuck on how to continue from here to achive this. Can someone comment on this?

Thanks in advance!

Regards, Lars.