snapdrive 6.3 does not see initiators

[DAVID_KEITH_HALL]

Snapdrive 6.3

Windows Server 2k8 R2 VM client

VMware 4.1

OnTap 7.3.7

I'm trying to connect to LUNs in the guest OS using snapdrive. I open snapdrive and click connect to disk, I can see the LUNs on the filer, choose one choose a drive letter. The next option of choosing an Initiator from the initiator list there are no initiators.

I can create initiators on the filer in OnCommand or through the web interface fine but can never see them in the windows OS. I've confirmed all the snapdrive services and applicable dependecies are started on the Guest OS.

Any ideas?

[AndyD]

If you are attempting to use iSCSI as the protocol to connect the LUNs (which I will assume you are here), you need to ensure that the iSCSI Initiator service is started within Windows.  Please follow these steps:

1. On the Windows guest, click the Start button, select Control Panel and then iSCSI Initiator.

2. You should be asked if you would like Windows to automatically start this service upon boot up.  Click Yes.

3. Close any open SnapDrive MMC GUI sessions.

4. Open Services.msc (the services console).

5. Right click the 'SnapDrive' service, and select restart.

6. Open the SnapDrive GUI.  You should now see 'iSCSI Session Management' in the left hand column.

7. Attempt to create your LUN.  The iSCSI initiator from the guest should now populate the initiators screen.

[DAVID_KEITH_HALL]

I'm supposed to be going through my Virtual Center.

I have another windows server 2k8 server with the exact same software on it as the problem child. The difference I see on the good box when I open Snapdrive and click on the server name I see a link for VirtualCenter or ESXi Server login in the Actions pain on the right.

I don't have that option on my problem child machine. I thought it was a software version thing but they are both running the same build of Snapdrive.

[AndyD]

Ah ha, that changes things.

For vCenter integration (to use initiators on the ESXi host), open the SnapDrive GUI, right click the server, and select 'vCenter or ESX credentials.'  Ensure the values are the same for both the working and non-working server.

Once that is verified, ensure the version of VMware tools is installed.  For newer versions of ESXi/vCenter/VMware tools, a newer version of SnapDrive will be needed (this is important if the working and non-working guest systems are on different versions of ESXi). 

[dmauro · Accepted solution]

Did you install vmware tools in the guest?

your server may have been victim of a problem which resulted from Vmware changing the installation paths of the vmtools.

Up to a certain version of vmware and snapdcrive, snapdrive queried the registry to find the path for the vmtools.

In the latest versions of SnapDrive, we use WMI calls to find out whether the OS is a guest os or not.

You should be able to see "ESX Virtual Machine" when you open SnapDrive, check screenshot attached.

If you don't see that, I suspect your SnapDrive 6.3 did not understand it is installed on a guest OS and therfore it won't show you the initiators of the ESX servers.

hope that helps,

Regards,

Domenico.

[DAVID_KEITH_HALL]

You gentlemen are the bomb.com.

It was the version of VMWare tools, I had 9.4.0 installed and it would not work. I uninstalled 9.4.0 and installed 8.6 and magic happened.

Thanks for all the replies.