VMFS datastore creation fails with "Failed to create VMFS datastore xxxx - Operation failed, diagnostics report: Unable to create Filesystem, please see VMkernel log for more details"

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• When attempting to format a new Fibre Channel LUN as a VMFS datastore from the host client, the operation fails with the below error

Failed to create VMFS datastore Datastore1 - Operation failed, diagnostics report: Unable to create Filesystem, please see VMkernel log for more details: Failed to create VMFS on device naa.600##############################:1 dismiss

• This is a Cisco UCS hardware with VIC 1440 controllers

 

 

Environment

VMware ESX 9.x

Cause

The failure is caused by the cisco nfnic driver initiating SCSI command aborts during the filesystem metadata write process. Because the driver aborts the commands before the storage array can acknowledge them, the ESXi storage stack encounters a timeout. Since ESXi cannot complete the system file creation on the disk within the allotted time, the datastore creation task is terminated.

Cause Validation:

Reviewing the /var/run/log/vmkernel.log, it is observed that the datastore creation times out due to fnic aborts

2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z In(182) vmkernel: cpu68:2098055) nfnic: <1>: INFO: fnic taskMgmt: 2236: TaskMgmt abort sc->cdb: 0x2a sllid: 0xffffffffffffffff
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z In (182) vmkernel: cpu68:2098055) nfnic: <1>: INFO: fnic_abort_cmd: 3851: Abort cmd called for Tag: 0x325 issued time: 40001 ms CMD STATE: FNIC_IOREQ_CMD_PENDING CDB Opcode: 0x2a sc:0x4xxxxxxxxxxx flags: 0x3 lun: 555 target: 0x2c1101
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z Wa (180) vmkwarning: cpu68:2098055) WARNING: nfnic: <1>: fnic_abort_cmd: 3866: Abort for cmd tag: 0x325 in pending state
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z In (182) vmkernel: cpu66:2103003) nfnic: <1>: INFO: fnic_fcpio_icmnd_cmpl_handler: 1865: io_req: 0x4xxxxxxxxxxx sc:0x4xxxxxxxxxxx tag: 0x325 CMD FLAGS: 0x53 CMD_STATE: FNIC_IOREQ_ABTS_PENDING ABTS pending hdr status: FCPIO_ABORTED scsi_status: 0x0$
2026-01-23T07: 40:50.458Z In (182) vmkernel: cpu66:2103003) nfnic: <1>: INFO: fnic fcpio itmf cmpl handler: 2445: io req: 0x4xxxxxxxxxxx sc: 0x4xxxxxxxxxxx id:
0x325 CMD_FLAGS: 0x73 CMD_STATE: FNIC_IOREQ_ABTS_PENDINGhdr status: FCPIO_SUCCESS ABTS cmpl received
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z In(182) vmkernel: cpu66:2098374) NMP: nmp_ThrottleLogForDevice: 3898: Cmd 0x2a (0x457a02a80900, 2102981) to dev "naa.600##############################" on path "vmhba0: C#:T#: L#" Failed:
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z In (182) vmkernel: cpu66:2098374) NMP: nmp_ThrottleLogForDevice: 3903: H: 0x5 D: 0x0 P: 0x0 . Act: EVAL. cmdId. initiator=0x4xxxxxxxxxxx CmdSN 0x110
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z Wa (180) vmkwarning: cpu66:2098374) WARNING: NMP: nmp_DeviceRequestFastDeviceProbe: 235: NMP device "naa.600##############################" state in doubt; requested fast path state update ...
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z In (182) vmkernel: cpu66:2098374) ScsiDeviceIO: 4673: Cmd (0x457a02a80900) 0x2a, cmdId.initiator=0x430a7d423f40 CmdSN 0x110 from world 2102981 to dev "naa.600##############################" failed H:0x5 D:0x0 P:0x0 Cancelled from driver layer.
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z In (182) vmkernel: cpu66:2098374) Cmd count Active:1 Queued:0
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z Wa (180) vmkwarning: cpu0:2103015 opID=6da4bcaa) WARNING: Vol3: 1580: Datastore1/697325da-########-####-############:Error initializing FBB SFD: Timeout
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z Wa (180) vmkwarning: cpu0:2103015 opID=6da4bcaa) WARNING: Vol3: 1908: Error creating system files: Timeout
2026-01-23T07:40:50.458Z In(182) vmkernel: cpu0:2103015 opID=6da4bcaa) FSS: 2514: Failed to create FS on dev [697325da-########-####-############] fs [Datastore1] type [vmfs6] fbSize 1048576 => Timeout

Resolution

Engage cisco to further investigate the fnic aborts