VVOL datastore does not show after upgrading ESXi hosts version

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• During an ESXi host version upgrade from 7.x to 8.x, the hosts lose access to a VVOL datastore.
• In the same cluster, the host which is not upgraded still has access to the VVOL datastore.
• When we try to mount the datastore on the 3 hosts, it gives the error: "The object or item referred to could not be found".

• The upgraded hosts won't show any VASA provider or protocol endpoints:

[root@hostname:/vmfs/volumes/61294d7d-xxxxxxxx-c8f9-xxxxxxxxxxxx/systemlogs/hostname]
[root@hostname:/vmfs/volumes/61294d7d-xxxxxxxx-c8f9-xxxxxxxxxxxx/systemlogs/hostname] esxcli storage vvol protocolendpoint list
[root@hostname:/vmfs/volumes/61294d7d-xxxxxxxx-c8f9-xxxxxxxxxxxx/systemlogs/hostname] esxcli storage vvol storagecontainer list
Troot@hostname:/vmfs/volumes/61294d7d-xxxxxxxx-c8f9-xxxxxxxxxxxx/systemlogs/hostname] esxcli storage vvol protocolendpoint list
[root@hostname:/vmfs/volumes/61294d7d-xxxxxxxx-c8f9-xxxxxxxxxxxx/systemlogs/hostname]

• However, the host which was not upgraded will see the protocol endpoints and the VASA provider:

[root@hostname:~ ] esxcli storage vvol vasaprovider list
VASAPPROVIDERNAME-ct1
VP Name: VASAPPROVIDERNAME
URL: https://10.xxx.xx:xx:8084/version.xml
Status: online
Arrays :
Array Id: com.purestorage:5ec11d9e-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
Is Active: true
Priority: 210
[root@hostname:~ ] esxcli storage vvol storagecontainer list
STORAGECONTAINERNAME

StorageContainer Name: STORAGECONTAINERNAME
UUID: vvol:494c83977dbxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Array: com.purestorage:5ec11d9e-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
Size(MB): 1073741824
Free(MB): 1042368331
Accessible: true
Default Policy:
[root@hostname:~ ] esxcli storage vvol protocolendpoint list
naa.624a9xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Host Id: naa.624a9xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Array Id: com.purestorage:5ec11d90-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
Type: SCSI
Accessible: true
Configured: true
Lun Id: naa.624a9xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Remote Host:
Remote Share:
NFS4x Transport IPs:
Server Scope:
Server Major:
Auth:
User:
Storage Containers: 494c8397-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Environment

VMware vSphere 7.x

VMware vSphere 8.x

Cause

The status of the VASA provider will be offline hence, the ESXi hosts are unable to mount the datastore.

Also, the vvold logs will show that the VASA provider is not yet initialized:

2026-01-14T05:40:48.940Z In( 166) VVold[2099154]: -- > SCSI PE, ID (host: naa.624a9xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, vasa: Not yet initialized) (accessible, configured)
2099154]: -- > ArrayIds:
2099154]: -- > Lun Id: naa.624a9xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)

Resolution

Customer is to re-register the VASA provider from the backend storage.

Post that, the VVOL datastore will be able to mount on all the hosts successfully.