iSCSI datastores are lost after ESXi upgrade

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

iSCSI datastores are missing after performing an ESXi upgrade

Environment

ESXi

Cause

The NIC used for the VMkernel iSCSI portgroup isn't detected by ESXi due to outdated and incompatible firmware.

Resolution

To resolve the issue, upgrade the firmware version to either a supported version or higher as per the Broadcom Hardware Compatibility Guides
To determine the current version of NIC driver and firmware in use, see Determining Network/Storage firmware and driver version in ESXi