vSphere reports the iSCSI disk is blank after adding it

[georgeyu100]

First, when after boot iSCSI service which is on Win7, then vSphere host, the iSCSI disk (VMFS form) often can’t appear on Storage. After adding it, it’s Ok.
But, yesterday, deleted a NTFS partition on the physical disk where the iSCSI image file is on another NTFS partition on, which totally had 3 primary partitions before, today, after adding the iSCSI disk, vSphere shows an error message:

Error during the configuration of the host: Failed to get disk partition information

After click the button Ok, it said: the disk is blank.

In my opinion, the partition of virtual disk (an image file) wouldn’t be affected by any change of partition on the physical disk. I can’t lose my data on this iSCSI disk. How can I fix it?

Thanks!

George

[anton (staff)]

1) Disconnect all active initiators.
2) Spawn new session from OS which knows your destination file system.
3) Run OS chkdisk analog (initially in read-only mode).

However your problem is deeper then it looks initially - we really need to understand what happens to disk so it is 1) not always recognized 2) gets corrupted (or looks corrupted). I suspect multiple connections w/o proper reservations conflict issue.

[georgeyu100]

you are great!

Thank you very much!

George

[anton (staff)]

Did you manage to solve the issue?

you are great!

Thank you very much!

George

[georgeyu100]

Hi,
After the problem, I meet new one.
After added the iSCSI disk successfully, and turned on some VMs, I wrote down Thank to you here. But, when two MSCS nodes rooting or later (I am not sure the really time), can enter both of them. Checked the storage, the iSCSC disk lost. Did the same way to add it into host a few time, get another error message:

Cannot change the host configuration.

Or same Error message:
Error during the configuration of the host: Failed to get disk partition information
And it said: the disk is blank.

I never change the host configuration, only turn off/on a few times with iSCSI server for the sake of disconnecting all active initiators and getting new session.

Also, when, host shutdown, it reported: Sychronizing SCSI cashe for disk sdd:
......
......still retrying 9347 after 180s
......still retrying 9348 after 180s
......
So, it needed to turn off by hand ( the network is good. And when created the disk, chose cash for it)

Also, only one host conne to the iscsc Server. 3 iSCSI disk. two for MSCS cluster. Becase cluser nodes on third iSCSI disk, first, I need to add the third disk on host. otherwise the two nodes can't work.

Now, what can I do? Can I mount it on windows system? I mean how the disk (VMFS file system) can read on Win. If can, I’ll copy data out from it and make a new iSCSI disk, then put the data back.

Thanks
George

[Constantin (staff)]

Error "Cannot change host configuration" and it`s workaround are described here.
If you turn off server by hand it can corrupt VMFS. It can be recovered, but I don`t guarantee that it will see all files without any additional work