HPE MSA Cannot See LUN?

Posted on 10/04/2024 by PeteLong

Cannot See LUN KB ID 0001862

Problem

I finally got round to replacing the SAN on my test network, I setup the new one via direct cable connection (10Gbps iSCSI DAC). I created vDisks and volumes, presented those volumes. Setup iSCSI bindings in vSphere, all vanilla stuff.

ESX hosts could not see the storage LUNS, they could see the SAN, but ‘add datastore‘ showed me no available storage.

Solution: Cannot See LUN

Two days! That’s what this cost me, I’ve spent over 20 years deploying storage (mostly HPE) but an assortment of HPE, Dell, IBM, NetApp, and a score of cheap alternatives. I manually changed the iqn names in VMware, I proved connectivity from VMKernels to the storage array with vmping. I updated the controller and card firmware – nothing.

I got a trusted colleague on the gear remotely to check I’d not done anyhting stupid, he made some suggestions, still no progress. I opened an quesiton on Experts Exchange – lot’s of good advice but nothing worked.

Then after trawling through old HPE and VMware forum posts I found a link to a video, it was an Indian chap deploying some iSCSI volumes to a Windows server, even though I don’t speak Hindi, I thought “What the hell I’ll watch it, and make sure (once again) I had not done anything stupid.

Then while mapping the new volume, he did something so simple and so mind bogglingly easy to miss, everyone I’d spoken to had missed it also. When mapping a volume you create a LUN (in this example LUN 10) Set the rights to ‘read-write’ and apply.

See those green ticks over the iSCSI ports they DO NOT MEAN present the storage through those ports. They simply mean there’s a working cable in those ports.

You must manually go to each port, and make sure the PORT IS TICKED so it looks like this.

Whoever designed that GUI needs a massive punch in the face.

Change iLO Server Name

Posted on 08/03/2024 by PeteLong

Change iLO Server Name KB ID 0001853

Problem

I was rebuilding some servers this week and had changed all the iLO settings including the iLO name. But when I connected to the iLO with a browser, it still displayed the ‘old server name’. Even in the ‘Overview‘ section is still showed both the old server name and the previous domain.

Solution: Change iLO Server Name

An internet search turned up plenty of people with the same problem, but not many people managing to fix it. I stumbled across the answer by simply going to each section until I found it.

Administration > Access Settings > Access Options > Here there is an ‘editable’ value called Server Name > Change accordingly.

Sometimes you may need to reset the iLO (iLO Dedicated Network Port > General Tab > Reset).

mac OSX: Opening JNLP Files?

Posted on 02/12/2021 by PeteLong

KB ID 0001767

Problem

I needed to get onto a HPE server’s iLO at work today. I was using Firefox and the .Net extensions no longer work, so I was forced to use Java web start. Annoyingly that opened my Windows 10 VM (that runs in VMware Fusion), then it fell over!

So the problem is, I need to be able to ‘RUN‘ jnlp file on my MacBook, but there’s no Java application in the applications folder.

Opening JNLP Files (mac OSX)

Try to execute the jnlp file again, but under ‘Open with” Select Other.

Select your hard drive, then System > Library > CoreServices > JavaLauncher.app > (Tick Do this automatically for files like this from now on.) > Open.

Now the file will get blocked by security (if you’ve done anything technical on a Mac you should know how to get round that) Click the Apple Icon (at the top of your screen) > Preferences > Security and Privacy > General Tab > Open Anyway.

You might get some further Java warnings but you should now be able to run the application.

Brocade Switches Getting the Serial Number

Posted on 07/04/2020 by PeteLong

KB ID 0001665

Problem

If you have fiber channel switches, (regardless of the vendor,) scratch the surface and underneath it’s probably a Brocade. (Unless it’s a Cisco Nexus then you are in the wrong place my friend, move along!) e.g an HP StorageWorks 8/8 SAN Switch (Yeah it’s a Brocade 6505), or an IBM SAN24B-4 Express Fabric Switch (you guessed it, Brocade).

If you need to get the serial number for them, here’s how.

Solution

SSH into the switch, and issue the following command;

[box]chassisshow[/box]

I need the Brocades Vendor Serial Number!

For ‘re-badged’ Brocades, some vendors, (HP for example), have a ‘Suppler Serial Number‘ also, you need to GUI into the switch manager to get that, (that means using a browser and having Java installed!) Warning: You will need to enter the switches IP or FQDN into the the ‘Safe’ list in the Java settings in the Control Panel or this will fail. Typically you then browse to http://{IP-Address}/switchExplorer_installed.html to then get access.

Go here;

1: Is the Brocade Serial Number.

2. Is the Supplier (Vendor) Serial Number.

Find All HP iLOs on your Network

Posted on 26/06/2019 by PeteLong

KB ID 0001571

Problem

I had to find all the HP iLOs on a client network today, I could have got an IP scanner and then sorted the results for HP devices, but I would have ended up with switches, printers and God knows what else!

If only there was a PowerShell command I could use?

Solution

There is! You will need to download it though, (HPiLOCmdlets-x64,) extract them to your C: drive.

Here I’m installing them from PowerShell, but you can simply run the HPiLOCmdlets-x64.msi file, (if you do install from PowerShell, you will need to restart it, and might need to change your signing policy).

Run the following commands;

[box]

Find-HPiLO
{Then supply the range to scan i.e. 192.168.1.1-254}

[/box]

HP Intelligent Provisioning Cant See USB Media?

Posted on 16/05/2019 by PeteLong

KB ID 0001555

Problem

Life was simpler when we had DVD Drives and a wallet full of CD/DVDs! I was building an HP DL360 This morning and needed to install Windows. I created a bootable USB with Unetbootin and selected a Windows Server ISO, it wouldn’t boot. So I thought ‘Fine I’ll play the game” I pressed F10 for Intelligent Provisioning.

After selecting USB media – the system could not see my USB Drive?

After a couple of seconds head scrathing the penny dropped, it wants the iso not a bootable drive, (doofus!) So I used a FAT formatted USB and that didn’t work either?

Option 1: Use iLO

Before you all start emailing me, you can install an operating system from virtual media WITHOUT and advanced iLO licence! Annoyingly I was building the server on the bench, so I had to connect my laptop into the iLO with a crossover cable but, here’s me proving it works.

Option 2: Use ExFAT

Format your USB drive using ExFAT, luckily I use macOS and Disk Utility will format a drive using ExFAT for me.

Note: Windows will also format as ExFAT 🙂

Then simply put your install .iSO file(s) on the media.

Now you can see your install media.

Option 3: Use the HP Media Creator

I didn’t try this option, but feel free to download it and give it a try, comment below to let me know how you get on.

HP USB Key Utility for Windows v3.0.0

HP iLO Upgrade Stops at 99%

Posted on 14/05/2019 by PeteLong

KB ID 0001553

Problem

While trying to update an iLO on a blade server yesterday, (from 2.07 to 2.33). I uploaded the file it got to 99% then after a while it recycled and repeated the process all over again, and kept going.

Solution

Well I was on a 2016 Server using IE 11, and the iLO2 is VERY OLD, so I’m guessing it’s a browser problem. I reconnected to the iLO using Firefox, and it worked perfectly. (Note: If using a Blade Center – connect to that using Firefox, then open the iLO page from there, you may need to restart the browser before it ‘autofills‘ in the username and password for you.

VMware: Change IOPS Limit From 1000 to 1

Posted on 28/03/2019 by PeteLong

KB ID 0001532

Problem

I got asked to do this by a client this week, HP has requested that this be set for connections to their Storevirtual VSA that had been having some problems.

Solution

I followed the instructions and was at first confused because I could not see the settings that needed changing? That’s because this only applies if you have MULTIPATHING enabled and set to ‘Round Robin’. So if your storage does NOT look like below, (All paths Active I/O). then this procedure is not applicable.

So assuming you are using round robin multipathing, and, <ahem!> the storage vendor hasn’t just pulled a solution from a list of things that might work, rather than actually diagnosing the problem. Then you can see the current setting with the following command;

[box]

esxcli storage nmp device list

[/box]

Take note of the iSCSI storage names, below you can see they all start with naa.6000, you can also see the IOPS value is set to 1000.

To change the value use the following command (change the value in red to match yours);

[box]

for i in `esxcfg-scsidevs -c |awk '{print $1}' | grep naa.6000`; do esxcli storage nmp psp roundrobin deviceconfig set --type=iops --iops=1 --device=$i; done

[/box]

Then recheck, the new value should be ‘1’.

Disable ATS Heartbeat

Posted on 22/03/2019 by PeteLong

KB ID 0001529

Problem

After ESX 5.5 Update 2, VMware added ATS Heartbeat.Some vendors, (like HPE SureStore and VSA) recommend that this is disabled. I can’t find any info about whether it’s safe to do this in production, so to be on the safe side I placed the hosts in maintenance mode first.

Enter Maintenance Mode

Use the following command;

[box]

vim-cmd /hostsvc/maintenance_mode_enter

[/box]

Disable ATS Heartbeat

Use the following command to disable;

[box]

esxcli system settings advanced set -i 0 -o /VMFS3/UseATSForHBOnVMFS5

[/box]

Then confirm it worked with following command;

[box]

esxcli system settings advanced list -o /VMFS3/UseATSForHBOnVMFS5

[/box]

Confirm that INT Value is set to 0 (zero).

Exit Maintenance Mode

Use the following command;

[box]

vim-cmd /hostsvc/maintenance_mode_exit

[/box]

Virtual SAN: Suppress ‘Datastore Usage on Disk’ Alarm

Posted on 19/03/2019 by PeteLong

KB ID 0001527

Problem

While deploying a HPE StoreVirtual VSA this week. We noticed all the local Datastore were showing an ‘Alarm’. If you are unfamiliar with Virtual SANs, then you give all the LOCAL Storage to them, which then gets ‘aggregated’ and provided back to the host(s) as fault tolerant clustered storage, like so;

Which is great, but the VMware hosts just see that their LOCAL Datastore(s) are full, and they alarm;

Solution

Whilst in ‘Datastore View’: Create a ‘Local Datastore Folder‘ and add all you local datastore(s) to that, then create a ‘Virtual Datastore Folder’ and add all your virtual/clustered datastore(s) to that. Select the vCenter > Monitor > Issues > Alarm Definitions > Locate the ‘Datastore usage on disk’ alarm and Edit it.

Untick: Enable this alarm.

You will recreate this alarm again below, so take a note all ALL its settings;

Now select your Virtual Datastore folder > Monitor > Issues > Alarm Definitions > Add > Recreate the alarm again, Note: I’ve called it ‘Virtual-Datastore-Usage-On-Disk‘.

Have a coffee, refresh the page, the alarms should have gone.

Problem

Solution: Cannot See LUN

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Problem

Solution: Change iLO Server Name

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Problem

Opening JNLP Files (mac OSX)

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Problem

Solution

I need the Brocades Vendor Serial Number!

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Problem

Solution

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Problem

Option 1: Use iLO

Option 2: Use ExFAT

Option 3: Use the HP Media Creator

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Problem

Solution

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Problem

Solution

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Problem

Enter Maintenance Mode

Disable ATS Heartbeat

Exit Maintenance Mode

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Problem

Solution

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