Validation fails with error: "Failed verifying removal of any persistent reservation" when enabling clustering services for VMs with shared virtual disks

Products

• VMware vSAN
• VMware vSAN 7.x
• VMware vSAN 8.x

Issue/Introduction

• When performing a storage validation check from the Failover Cluster Manager wizard within a Windows Server 2022 Guest (Windows Server Failover Clusters [WSFC]), the validation fails with the following error:
  Failed while verifying removal of any Persistent Reservation on physical disk (########-####-####-####-############) at node ##.###

Environment

VMware vSAN 7.x

VMware vSAN 8.x

Cause

There can be a few causes for this behavior:

1. The disk sharing mode of the shared virtual disk(s) or the bus-sharing mode of the virtual controller is configured incorrectly.
2. Clustered VMDK Support may not be enabled on the VMFS 6 datastore
3. The assigned storage policy is incorrect or non-compliant with vSAN requirements.

Resolution

1.) Virtual Controller Configuration:

• • Set the SCSI Bus Sharing mode to Physical

 

2.) Virtual Disk Configuration:

• • Ensure the Sharing mode is set to No sharing; this allows the Guest OS to manage SCSI-3 persistent reservations directly.

  • Create a storage policy on vSAN to configure Microsoft Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) with shared disks on VMware vSphere

2.1.) Define a Policy with Object Space Reservation set to Thick Provisioning (100%)

 

 

 

 

2.2)  Apply to VM: Right-click VM -> VM Policies > Edit VM Storage Policies

 

 

 

 

2.3)  Verify compliance: Choose VM -> Configure tab -> Policies -> If the status shows "Out of Date" click Reapply VM Storage Policy

 

3.) Datastore Configuration:

• • VMFS 6:  Ensure Clustered VMDK Support is enabled: (Inventory -> Datastores Tab -> Choose Datastore -> Configure -> General -> Datastore Capabilities -> Check the Enable checkbox for Clustered VMDK Support. (see: Activating Clustered VMDK Support)

  • vSAN: Clustered VMDKs are natively supported; the Clustered VMDK Support toggle is not required

  • NFS: Clustered VMDKs are not supported

Additional Information

 

• Microsoft Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) with shared disks on VMware vSphere 8.x: Guidelines for supported configurations
• vSphere Storage Policies and Virtual Machines