Storage adapters show status as offline

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Navigate to Host > configure > Storage adapters. FC adapters status show as "Offline".

  

• Run the command "esxcli storage core adapter list". Link State of all FC adapters will show as "link-down".

  esxcli storage core adapter list

  HBA Name  Driver     Link State  UID                                   Capabilities         Description

  --------  ---------  ----------  ------------------------------------  -------------------  -----------

  vmhba2    lpfc       link-down   fc.200070b7e42281b7:################  Second Level Lun ID  (0000:81:00.0) Emulex Corporation Emulex LPe35000/LPe36000 Fibre Channel Adapter

  vmhba3    lpfc       link-down   fc.200070b7e42281b8:################  Second Level Lun ID  (0000:81:00.1) Emulex Corporation Emulex LPe35000/LPe36000 Fibre Channel Adapter

  vmhba64   lpfc       link-down   fc.200070b7e42281b7:################                       (0000:81:00.0) Emulex Corporation Emulex LPe35000/LPe36000 Fibre Channel Adapter

  vmhba65   lpfc       link-down   fc.200070b7e42281b8:################                       (0000:81:00.1) Emulex Corporation Emulex LPe35000/LPe36000 Fibre Channel Adapter

• The Fibre Channel Adapter in the Hardware Console shows Link Status as "Down".

  

Environment

• VMware vSphere ESXi 6.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

• This problem lies outside the ESXi host and necessitates assistance from the Storage/Switch vendor for further isolation.

• From the /var/run/log/vmkernel.log,

  2025-11-06T02:10:52.549Z Wa(180) vmkwarning: cpu2:2099263) WARNING: ScsiPath: 830: Failed to fetch FC target attributes for path vmhba3:CO:TO: LO. Status = 195887105
2025-11-06T02:10:52.549Z In(182) vmkernel: cpu2:2099263) ScsiPath: 1260: Couldn't allocate path (vmhba3:CO: TO: LO) during scan: Failure
2025-11-06T02:10:52.549Z Wa(180) vmkwarning: cpu2:2099263) WARNING: ScsiPath: 830: Failed to fetch FC target attributes for path vmhba4 : CO: TO: LO. Status = 195887105
2025-11-06T02:10:52.549Z In (182) vmkernel: cpu2:2099263) ScsiPath: 1260: Couldn't allocate path (vmhba4:CO: TO: LO) during scan: Failure
2025-11-06T02:10:52.549Z Wa (180) vmkwarning: cpu2:2099263) WARNING: ScsiPath: 830: Failed to fetch FC target attributes for path vmhba5: CO: TO: LO. Status = 195887105
2025-11-06T02:10:52.549Z In (182) vmkernel: cpu2:2099263) ScsiPath: 1260: Couldn't allocate path (vmhba5:CO: TO: LO) during scan: Failure
2025-11-06T02:10:52.549Z Wa (180) vmkwarning: cpu2:2099263) WARNING: ScsiPath: 830: Failed to fetch FC target attributes for path vmhba6:CO: TO: LO. Status = 195887105
2025-11-06T02:10:52.549Z In(182) vmkernel: cpu2:2099263) ScsiPath: 1260: Couldn't allocate path (vmhba6:CO: TO: LO) during scan: Failure

• The error events recorded in the log suggest that the storage adapter is non-functional and that paths cannot be accessed.

Resolution

• Engage the Storage/Switch vendor to perform investigation of the Fiber Channel storage network