The issue is resolved in ESXi/ESX 4.1 Update 1 and the fix has also been included with ESXi 5.0.
This issue is resolved in the patch release for ESX 4.0. For more information see,
VMware ESX 4.0, Patch ESX400-200912401-BG: Updates vmkernel, vmklinux, tools, CIM, and perftools (1016291).
Notes:
Workaround
ESXi/ESX 4.x can list all of the LUNs it detects, as well as the state of these LUNs. If none of the paths to a storage device are in the ACTIVE state, then ESXi/ESX considers the device to be in an all-paths-down state. If an all-paths-down state does exist, then this is likely the issue causing LUNs to be unresponsive, either for a limited period of time or permanently, when a rescan occurs. For more information, see
Identifying disks when working with VMware ESX (1014953).
If virtual machines are not responding on an ESXi/ESX 4.0 host, determine if an all-paths-down condition exists by running the command:
# esxcfg-mpath --list-paths --device device_naa | grep state
or
# esxcfg-mpath --list-paths --device device_mpx | grep state
Where:
device_naa
is the Network Addressing Authority (NAA) unique address for the full storage device device_mpx
is the identifier if a NAA ID is not available
Note: For information about using the command line with ESXi, see
Tech Support Mode for Emergency Support (1003677).
Starting with ESXi/ESX 4.0 Update 1, you can set an advanced configuration option on all hosts in the vCenter Server cluster to reduce rescan times and to prevent virtual machines from not responding. By default this option is disabled.
Caution: Not every all-paths-down condition is permanent. Some all-paths-down conditions, such as those that occur briefly during a network re-configuration, are transient. Enabling this option can cause devices in a transient all-paths-down state to become unavailable. VMware recommends disabling this option after the rescan operation completes.
To enable this option, run the command:
# esxcfg-advcfg -s 1 /VMFS3/FailVolumeOpenIfAPD
To disable and reset to the default value without requiring downtime, run the command:
# esxcfg-advcfg -s 0 /VMFS3/FailVolumeOpenIfAPD
To check the value of this option, run the command:
# esxcfg-advcfg -g /VMFS3/FailVolumeOpenIfAPD
To minimize the amount of time that the virtual machines are unresponsive, apply these patches:
Note: This does not apply for ESXi/ESX 4.0 Update 2 and 4.1 because the patch is integrated in these versions.
With ESX 4.1 Update 1 and ESX 4.0 Update 3, you no longer have to make the modification to the advanced setting. Virtual machines that are not associated with the APD Volume(s) do not become unresponsive upon a rescan.
For more information, see:
Additional Information
For translated versions of this article, see: