Unable to add storage LUN

[vvcortazar]

HI, I am trying to add a new storage and after selecting the LUN I get the following message:

Call "HostDatastoreSystem.QueryVmfsDatastoreCreateOptions" for object "ha-datastoresystem" on ESXi "10.212.77.30" failed.

The LUN is 465GB in size and it is hosted on a HP MSA60, I recreated the LUN several times and still get the same error, what could be the cause for this?

[a_p_]

Welcome to the community,

sometimes there is some raw data on the disks which could be misinterpreted. Check the new LUN, following the steps in http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1008886.

Please be very careful with this!

André

[vvcortazar]

Hi, thanks for the Info, after following the steps on the document you pointed for me, I still get the same error, the fdisk output is:

~ # fdisk -l

Disk /dev/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T2:L0: 500.0 GB, 500074307584 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60797 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

Disk /dev/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T1:L0: 1000.1 GB, 1000148590592 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121594 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T1:L0p1 1 121594 976703741 fb VMFS

Disk /dev/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T0:L0: 1000.1 GB, 1000148590592 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121594 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T0:L0p1 1 121594 976703741 fb VMFS

Disk /dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0: 293.5 GB, 293564211200 bytes

64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 279964 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 2048 * 512 = 1048576 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0p1 5 900 917504 5 Extended

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0p2 901 4995 4193280 6 FAT16

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0p3 4996 279965 281568920 fb VMFS

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0p4 * 1 4 4080 4 FAT16 <32M

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0p5 5 254 255984 6 FAT16

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0p6 255 504 255984 6 FAT16

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0p7 505 614 112624 fc VMKcore

/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0p8 615 900 292848 6 FAT16

The LUN I am trying to add is the first on on the list (/dev/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T2:L0)

[a_p_]

I'm not sure why this occurs. Please check the storage to make sure the LUN is configured for read/write.

If you tried to create the datastore while connected to vCenter Server, connect to an ESX host directly and try again. If that does not work either you may create the datastore from the command line (see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1009829)

André

[PduPreez]

Hi

When you present the LUN to the Host on the MSA side, do you specify the Host OS which will be VMware or do you leave it on default. (Windows)

There is nothing else I can think of realy, if you deleted the LUn and recreated it, and only present it to this single host, you should be able to create the datastore.

Also I would check the HBA card for compatibillity

Regards

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[vvcortazar]

Hi, I tried creating the volume manually and get this message:

Checking if remote hosts are using this device as a valid file system. This may take a few seconds...

Creating vmfs3 file system on "mpx.vmhba2:C0:T2:L0:1" with blockSize 8388608 and volume label "MSA60_C".

/vmfs/devices/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T2:L0:1: Permission denied. (Have you set the partition type to 0xfb?)

I followed the guide twice and still no good, this is the third LUN on the same storage. when i presented the LUN I left the default OS (I did the same woth the other two LUNS)

The partition after following the guide looks like this:

Disk /vmfs/devices/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T2:L0: 500.0 GB, 500074307584 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60797 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/vmfs/devices/disks/mpx.vmhba2:C0:T2:L0p1 1 60797 488351838+ fb VMFS

I'll start all over by deleting the partition at MSA level and recreating it, and see what happens

[ab_lal · Accepted solution]

Resolution:

Vmware cant format some LUN's but windows can and once the lun is formatted in Windows, vmware can reformat it

Create a test Windows VM and attach a new Hard Disk and choose the LUN as a Raw device Mapping...

Login to Windows Test VM

Open disk management

and Rescan for new disk

Format the new disk

From VI - Edit Settings of the VM and remove the new disk

Now try to add it as a new storage.... It works.