Datastore is missing post reboot of the ESXi host

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

After upgrading the firmware of the Dell iDRAC server and rebooting the host, you may experience these symptoms:

• VMFS datastore is missing
• VMFS datastore cannot be accessed or browsed
• Virtual machines are showing as Inaccessible
• Virtual machines cannot be powered on

ESXi hosts using FC adapter model QME2662-DEL may encounter this issue.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

This is a known issue where the WWPN on the QME2662 FC16 Mezz adapter changes from chassis assigned to server assigned after iDRAC is updated to version 4.00.00. This can result in connectivity to the fabric being lost and the FC HBA not being able to reach the storage target.

Reference external article: Dell Firmware DUP for Qlogic 26XX series Fibre Channel adapters. | Driver Details | Dell India

To verify the model of the adapter and the WWPN on the vCenter, navigate to the ESXi host reporting the problem and select configure > Storage Adapters > Select the FC adapter and it will show the WWN and WWPN as shown in the image below:

Resolution

We would need to reach out to the hardware vendor (Dell) to get the resolution/fix for this issue.

Workaround:

Involve the Fibre Channel switch vendor to create a new or update the existing zone with the new WWPN address of the FC adapters.

Once done, we will need to do a rescan of the adapter and the storage and the datastore should be visible again.