OnTap Simulator 8.1.1 no longer running on ESXi 5.1 free

[rkeu]

I'm the only one with this issue? After upgrade of my ESXi host to 5.1 the OnTap Simulator 8.1.1 no longer work. I only get the follwoing error:

Cannot open the disk '/vmfs/volumes/<id>/vsim-DOT811-7m/DataONTAP-sim.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.

The system cannot find the file specified

VMware ESX cannot find the virtual disk "/vmfs/volumes/<id>/vsim-DOT811-7m/DataONTAP-sim.vmdk". Verify the path is valid and try again.

Before the Update everything worked without any issue. The vmdk Files are there, it also not works if i manually assign those disk files. I have also never made any snapshots, this cannot be the problem.

A re-download of the Simulator files and add to the Host, get the same issue.

[MichaelCade]

I have explained in detail here. http://www.vzilla.co.uk/vzilla-blog.html

[MichaelCade]

Ok i resolved this issue,

basically the reason is because the Sim.vmdk file is a sparse file, so this needs to be changed to either a thin or thick provisioned disk. this is done through the command line using the following commands *note you have to navigate to the correct datastore to issue these commands.

esxcli system module load -m multiextent - to be ran once on each esx node

vmkfstools -i DataONTAP-sim.vmdk DataONTAP-sim-new.vmdk -d zeroedthick

vmkfstools -U DataONTAP-sim.vmdk

vmkfstools -E DataONTAP-sim-new.vmdk DataONTAP-sim.vmdk

this needs to be ran on each netapp sim datastore both 7mode and clustered ontap this will allow the virtual machine to then boot. this is applicable to version 5.1 and ontap 8.1.2

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2036572

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1022242

[MichaelCade]

Just removed sim from inventory and re added to no avail, same error around this DataONTAP-sim.vmdk file not being found when it is clearly in the datastore

[MichaelCade]

Hi there, i am also having this issue i have downloaded the 8.1.2 sim for ESXi from my NOW site,

-i have then used the ESXi shell to extract to relevant datastore on host,

-added vm to inventory

-using the # vmkload_mod multiextent in the shell i have ran this

-power on virtual machine and i then get this error...

is there a specific order i need to add the virtual machine etc? this happens on both 7mode sims and clustered ontap sims....

for info i am running vsphere esxi 5.1

[nicola_mendella]

Hello,

i had the same issue. What i did to fix it was to load vmkload_mod multiextent

and to use the Vcenter converter to convert the vsim-DOT812-7m into my vcenter.

It worked directly for me.

[shariq_aijaz]

Thanks... It worked for me as well.

But now licenses are not working. Can someone help please

Regards

Shariq

[sdy]

which licenses and are you sure you're running 8.1.1 as in this thread? if you switched to 8.2 then the licensing infrastructure changed

and you have to pull the new set when you pull the vsim/vsa

Also its possible that the simulator you're using might not be a promoted build, the (8.1 7-mode) released simulator licenses

will only work on a promoted build and will fail with an invalid message on non-promoted builds

can you send the output of the version command, thats usually the easiest way to see if the build

was properly promoted.

[shariq_aijaz]

Thanks Steven...I got the solution.

By licenses I mean vsim licenses for Ontap 8.2 simulator. I know they are easily available under simulator download page. But the problem arises once I did the conversion of vsim using VMware Convertor. The serial number of the vsim got changed,somehow, and because from 8.2 the license are node locked. The demo licenses given on the simulator download page are not validating.

The solution to this, i followed, is that I first changed the serial number of the vsim to the one given on the simulator download page and then licensed the vsim.

PS: Changing the serial number is a tedious task but I followed one of the community post and it worked for me after couple of attempts.

Regards

Shariq

[DARREN_REED]

To ensure that the "multiextent" module is present on every boot, you need to edit /etc/rc.local.d/local.sh and add a single line "vmkload_mod multiextent".

[AdriaansenT]

Thanks,

I found it already

With kind Regards,

Tom Adriaansen (Storage Engineer)

Tom Adriaansen | Infrastructure Analyst | Reed Business Media

T +31 (0)314 34 92 23 | M +31 (0)6 238 76 099 | www.reedbusiness.nl<http://www.reedbusiness.nl/>

Van: Darren Reed

Verzonden: donderdag 29 november 2012 23:47

Aan: Adriaansen, Tom (RB-NL)

Onderwerp: - Re: OnTap Simulator 8.1.1 no longer running on ESXi 5.1 free

<https://communities.netapp.com/index.jspa>

Re: OnTap Simulator 8.1.1 no longer running on ESXi 5.1 free

created by Darren Reed<https://communities.netapp.com/people/darren.reed> in Simulator - View the full discussion<https://communities.netapp.com/message/95751#95751>

To ensure that the "multiextent" module is present on every boot, you need to edit /etc/rc.local.d/local.sh and add a single line "vmkload_mod multiextent".

Reply to this message by replying to this email -or- go to the message on NetApp Community<https://communities.netapp.com/message/95751#95751>

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[CCIE17603 · Accepted solution]

Everyone I have the fix. It's a VMWare issue. By default ESXi 5.1 does not load the the vmkernel multiextent module. See the KB Below.

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=2036572&sliceId=1&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&dialogID=448358018&stateId=1%200%...

The Fix: all you have to do is ssh into your host and  run this command from the cli: 

# vmkload_mod multiextent

The other stuff in this article didn't apply to me. All I had to do was run this command and my ONTAP Sims booted like usual, no issues. Unfortunately after a ESXi host reboot the multiextent module unloads and you have to perform this again to get your Sims to boot. If anyone can find a way to make this persistent with a switch or write a script that makes it load upon host reboot. I'm sure everyone would be very thankful.

[wolfohyeah]

Thanks. This command fixed my same issue in ESX4.1.

[ckeith]

Hmm, I'm having a problem getting ESXi 5.0.0 to even register the simulator.  From vSphere pointing to vCenter I get the following error after trying to add the simulator to the inventory:

A general system error occurred:

The system returned an error.

Communication with the virtual machine might have been interrupted.

If I point the vSphere client to the actual ESX host it is able to add it to its inventory, but if I try and power it on the "action get canceled by a user" (or something like that) and it stops trying to power it on.  Basically, I think it is vCenter trying to register it but fails so it stopped the ESX host from powering it on.

Any ideas?

[AdriaansenT]

Great. Thanks.

I had the same issue and it worked instantly after giving the

# vmkload_mod multiextent

command

[cratanamook]

Brilliant! Thank you! I'll give it a try.

[rkeu]

Wow thanks!! That was the Trick! Now it works!!

[stephent]

This has certainly resolved the issue for me. Thank you.

[stephent]

I can confirm this behaviour. I just put esx 5.1 on my server at home and tried to get the 8.1.1 simulator working. It came back with exactly the error you are reporting.

Looks like a 5.1 compatible release is needed.

Steve

[cratanamook]

Hi Roland,

           I got it working! The trick is in the name of the disk itself. Here's how I got it working. I think step 4, 5 and 6 is more relevant. Thanks.

1. Install vmware-workstation on my desktop (version 9)

2. add netapp 8.1.1 ESX version (vsim-DOT811-7m-esx) as VM to my vmware-workstation

3. right click manage and change hardware compatibility to workstation 9,,,

4. right click settings -> select harddisk 4 -> click utitlies -> compact

5. export as OVF template

6. import this OVF template to ESX5.1 (from web client) giving it a new name ie. test1

7. power on!

Regards,

Chakrit

[rkeu]

Hi Chakrit

Can you perhaps place the vmx file here, especially the Disk Part? And how are the Disk named now?