SnapDrive for Windows on Windows 2008 running as ESX guest

[#1]

Hi,

We have following problem.

When we try to connect to a existing LUN on the Netapp storage with SnapDrive 6.1.3R1 (using the connect disk function) we recieve following error:

-------------------------  SnapDrive Operation Start ---------------------------------

Disk connect operation on server - SERVER10 failed for reason

A timeout of 120 secs elapsed while waiting for volume arrival notification from the operating system.

--------------------- The complete operation list is shown as follows -------------------

********************* Server Name: SERVER10*********************

1. Checking input parameters

2. Checking access control

3. Checking policies

4. Turning on space reservation

5. Connecting to the LUN

6. A timeout of 120 secs elapsed while waiting for volume arrival notification from the operating system.  

------------------------------------------ Operation Done ---------------------------------------

In the Event Log we have EventID 116 for SnapDrive with this message:

Failed to connect to LUN. Failure in connecting to the LUN.

LUN Name = test_lun

Storage Path = /vol/server10/

Protocol Type = LUN

Storage System Name = sto02

Requested Mount Point = E

Assigned Mount Point = E

Error code : A timeout of 120 secs elapsed while waiting for volume arrival notification from the operating system.

On the storage, we see that the igroup is mapped but we receive no disk on the Windows system.

When we try to create a new LUN on the Netapp, this works without any problem. The LUN is mapped and visible in SnapDrive.

Enviroment:

DataONTAP 7.3.4

SnapDrive for Windows 6.3.1R1

Windows 2008 R2 SP1

VMWare vCenter Server 4.1.0

Someone an idea about is problem? Why we can not connect to an existing LUN.

We need to do it as we are doing some migrations from fysical to virtual and we want also to use SnapManager for Exchange and SQL

We have this problem on 2 different servers in the same enviroment.

[#2]

Hi,

first of all i think that connecting to a mapped LUN will fail with error that it is already mapped (you can work around it by simply adding an RDM via vcenter)

with that being said,

did you set the virtualcenter login settings?

[#3]

When we did not removed the mapping on the LUN, we had the error that the LUN was already mapped.

But we removed all mappings on the box and than we had the above errors.

[#4]

Did you set a username on the VirualCenter login settings?

you need the check the checkbox while installing snapdrive

Also i would recommend to try with snapdrive6.3p2 that's the version i'm working with..

[#5]

vCenter login settings are ok. Otherwise the Disk create will also not work.

I don't see what the difference is between disk connect and disk create. When you create a new disk (LUN), you also need to connect the disk to the system.

[#6]

There are several things to look out with this issue.

Firstly, is the server you are trying to connect LUN to a MS Cluster Box? If so do you have SnapDrive installed on all nodes in the cluster? Also SnapDrive when running in a virtual machine should be 6.3 or above, to have correct venter integration.

I assume as you are trying to do mapping from directly inside the Virtual Machine you are using iSCSI? There are a few known issues with MS iSCSI initiator, ms cluster and virtual machines. It is worth reviewing the MS Cluster document on the NEtApp Webpage. If you are using FC for VM connectivity, does your hardware support NPIV? If so this is a way to present virtual FC Card to virtual machine and map at that level? SnapDrive should then be able to operate normally.

For SnapDrive to connect a LUN it needs to have its mappings removed, as you have done already. Depending on your luck, if you map the LUN using ANY method, SnapDrive will sometimes detect the LUN and allow you to manage it providing other conditions have been meet (snap drive on all cluster nodes).

[#7]

As far am I am aware SnapDrives does not support connecting/creating LUNs where the LUN has been zoned using NPIV to the VM, there has been nothing in any of the manuals regarding NPIV.

With FC we are using the integration between SnapDrive / VSC to present RDM's into our virtual machines, we also have the same issue of not being able to connect physical RDM's into our VM's on Windows2008 but can create/disconnect then connect to the same LUN using Snapdrive within the VM.

We are also using SnapDrive 6.3.1R1 within the Virtual Machine and connection to both VC and SMVI/VSC worked as expected during install.

ONTAP 8.0.1P3

Windows 2008 R2 SP1

VIrtual Center 4.0

But we see the following error message is shown from SnapDrive: "A timeout of 120 secs elapsed while waiting for volume arrival notification from the operating system" and the disk disappears from DIsk Management - during the connection process we see the size of the LUN and it shows as a Online Basic (Unallocated) disk but then the timeout occurs and it disappears. I've had the same error message when mounting a snapshot using SnapDrive on a Windows 2008 OS and the following fix worked but we are unable to install this hotfix into our guest OS:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975921

[#8]

Malcompenn is right, last time I checked SDW 6.3 didn't support NPIV so previous versions would definitely not be supported.  There were discussions to possibly add to the roadmap in future releases but don't think its in 6.4 either.

[#9]

The issue I commented above was a user issue and certainly not product issue - we were trying to connect to a LUN which we hadnt migrated data into, therefore the LUN was without an already existing filesystem. Once we actualy migrated the data into the correct destination LUN it "connected" as expected

Testing all functionality of moving the VM with RDM attached between ESX servers no problems what do ever.

[#10]

Thanks for the info and glad to hear its working