NetApp VAAI ESXi 7.0

[Fabian1993]

HI,

does anyone have already ESXi 7.0 up and running and can approve that VAAI is working?

In our Setup we get this not running.

[Ontapforrum]

Hi,

It could be just incompatibility.

NetApp Interoperability site says : Maximum supported ESXi version is '6.7 Update 3' for VAAI Plug-in specifically.

Screenshot attached.

You may also verify:

http://support.netapp.com/matrix

Thanks!

[TMACMD]

Let me start off with saying: Always check the IMT for supported configurations!

I did a quick test this AM. I have a single-node FAS2650 here. ONTAP 9.7P2.

Created /vmware, exported to 0.0.0.0/24 - NFS - RW/any - RO/ANY - Allow SuperUser

Enable NFS vstorage on SVM

On my PC, installed ESXi 7.0 under Workstation Pro and installed the NetApp VIB. 

Note: installing the VIB file did not work (it hung for way too long). Installing the ZIP version seemed to work:

[root@Host000c29c8a000:/tmp] esxcli software vib install -n NetAppNasPlugin -d file:///tmp/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip
Installation Result
Message: The update completed successfully, but the system needs to be rebooted for the changes to be effective.
Reboot Required: true
VIBs Installed: NetApp_bootbank_NetAppNasPlugin_1.1.2-3
VIBs Removed:
VIBs Skipped:

Rebooted and mounted the /vmware exported volume above:

[root@Host000c29c8a000:~] esxcli storage nfs add -H 192.168.1.12 -s /vmware -v vmware

[root@Host000c29c8a000:~] esxcli storage nfs list
Volume Name Host         Share   Accessible Mounted Read-Only isPE  Hardware Acceleration
----------- ------------ ------- ---------- ------- --------- ----- ---------------------
vmware      192.168.1.12 /vmware true       true    false     false Supported

[root@Host000c29c8a000:~] vmkfstools -Ph /vmfs/volumes/vmware/
NFS-1.00 (Raw Major Version: 0) file system spanning 1 partitions.
File system label (if any): vmware
Mode: public
Capacity 200 GB, 200 GB available, file block size 4 KB, max supported file size 16.0 TB
Disk Block Size: 512/512/0
UUID: aee4ad33-6d95bbba-0000-000000000000
Partitions spanned (on "notDCS"):
nfs:aee4ad33-6d95bbba
NAS VAAI Supported: YES
Is Native Snapshot Capable: YES
[root@Host000c29c8a000:~]

So, the question of, will it work seems to be yes, on the surface anyway. Is it supported Not yet according the NetApp IMT as already indicated.

The big fat question is: Did anything change in version 7.0 to warrant an update to the NetApp VIB for VAAI. We will likely need wait and see.

Would I be running 7.0 in production with NetApp and NFS? probably not yet if I wanted VAAI. I mean...it just came out!

I understand wanting to play with all the new shiny things. But leave that for the testbed/non-prod areas.

[alss]

Looking compatibility matrix at VMware site I found this, but you are right, the vib is not installing out of the box in esxi 7.0, I think NetApp should release an updated plugin for 7.0

[NicoA]

Aw man, really regretting assuming that with ESX7 being out for 6+ months, the support would be there by now.

I have just added some ESX hosts running 7.01, and mounting NFS datastores that are already mounted on a dozen hosts running ESX 6.5, using the plugin on all of them.

Did I just introduce risk on the NFS datastores by introducing a mix of clients with and without VAAI?

[TMACMD]

should be fine.

I know there was certianly an issue with the early releases of 7.0 not allowing the plugin to install nicely. I was able to butre-force it in though.

I have had no issues installing the plugin on the current versions of 7.0x and it is on the support matrix. See attached photo

[NicoA]

Interesting. Contacting support, will share what I learn 🙂 

[NicoA]

While I wait for support... here's what I'm seeing on a new host running ESXi, 7.0.1, 16850804

esxcli software vib install -n NetAppNasPlugin -d NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip
[MetadataDownloadError]
Could not download from depot at zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip?index.xml, skipping (('zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip?index.xml', '', "Error extracting index.xml from /var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip'"))
url = zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip?index.xml
Please refer to the log file for more details.

So the log file.... /var/log/esxupdate.log - uploaded here the full thing, extracting:

DepotCollection: DEBUG: Downloading depot index.xml from zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip?index.xml

DepotCollection: INFO: Could not download from depot at zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip?index.xml, skipping (('zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip?index.xml', '', "Error extracting index.xml from /var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip'"))

This could very well be a VMware issue... stay tuned to find out 🙂 

[TMACMD]

Try renaming: NetAppNasPlugin.v23.zip -> NetAppNasPlugin.zip

[NicoA]

you got me excited there for a minute 😛 

esxcli software vib install -n NetAppNasPlugin -d NetAppNasPlugin.zip
[MetadataDownloadError]
Could not download from depot at zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.zip?index.xml, skipping (('zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.zip?index.xml', '', "Error extracting index.xml from /var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.zip: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.zip'"))
url = zip:/var/log/vmware/NetAppNasPlugin.zip?index.xml
Please refer to the log file for more details.

It's interesting that it shows /var/log/vmware in there. It's almost as if it's looking for the deflated zip in the wrong place.

[TMACMD]

try the full path?

esxcli software vib install -n NetAppNasPlugin -d file:///NetAppNasPlugin.zip

[NicoA]

Same 😞 

esxcli software vib install -n NetAppNasPlugin -d file:///NetAppNasPlugin.zip
[MetadataDownloadError]
Could not download from depot at zip:/NetAppNasPlugin.zip?index.xml, skipping (('zip:/NetAppNasPlugin.zip?index.xml', '', "Error extracting index.xml from /NetAppNasPlugin.zip: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/NetAppNasPlugin.zip'"))
url = zip:/NetAppNasPlugin.zip?index.xml
Please refer to the log file for more details.

if I give a bad filename, the error is different:

esxcli software vib install -n NetAppNasPlugin -d file:///bleepbloop.nop
[MetadataDownloadError]
Could not download from depot at file:///bleepbloop.nop/index.xml, skipping (('/bleepbloop.nop/index.xml', '', "unknown url type: '/bleepbloop.nop/index.xml'"))
url = file:///bleepbloop.nop/index.xml
Please refer to the log file for more details.

[NicoA · Accepted solution]

Aha! This worked:

esxcli software vib install -n NetAppNasPlugin -d file:////vmfs/volumes/b3c3f044-abc1234/ova/NetAppNasPlugin.zip

[TMACMD]

Yeah! That’s it. Full path!

[navion]

About vLCM support:

The current version of the NFS plug-in for VAAI is only compatible with VMware ESXi 7.0, but not with 7.0.1. The next version 2.0, which will be compatible with 7.0.1, was scheduled for release this month and would contain this feature. I would recommend you to subscribe to the below RFE in order to be notified for updates:
https://mysupport.netapp.com/NOW/cgi-bin/bol?Type=Detail&Display=1356694

[NicoA]

Thanks @navion , subscribed to that. I hope that new plugin will also be compatible with the just released ESX 7.0.2.

Follow-up query: 

I'm currently running ESX 7.0.1 on over 20 hosts, and all using the NFS plugin for VAAI.

Can you share documentation on why this is not compatible in 7.0.1, but is ok on 7.0? I would like to review what kind of risk there is with my current configuration.

[navion]

It should work with 7.0.1, but you can't install the plugin with vLCM.

In addition, only vSphere 7.0 U2 provides the ability to use native NFS snapshots:

https://blogs.vmware.com/virtualblocks/2021/03/09/vsphere-7-u2-core-storage

[navion]

Version 2.0 released today:

https://mysupport.netapp.com/site/products/all/details/nfsplugin-vmware-vaai/downloads-tab/download/61278/2.0

[NicoA]

Thanks for the notice! 🙂 

The slide above, with the support matrix... looks like it came from a presentation at Insight. What was the topic of the presentation? Hoping to find something to watch/read to learn a little more.

[navion]

DEM-1265-2, but it lacks any technical details.

[sraudonis]

Hmm... The link with the video don't work here...

Can someone here tell me more about Snapshot Copy Offload? This should be available with the new plugin and vSphere 7.0.2.

How can i use that? I have all installed but he still creates normal delta files. Perhaps i must enable that or configure something. I found nothing in the manuals or release notes...

And install via vLCM works, but it reports the wrong version, it shows version 1.0 Build 0001, same with "esxcli software component list". Only "esxcli software vib list" shows the correct version.