Manage/create/change RAID on running VMware host without reboot.

Question

Hi,

i want to know if this is possible to manage (change) configuration of Dell RAID controller on running VMware host.

For example if I add some disks to the DAS storage shelves connected to H800 controller, I need to configure RAID on these new disks and add new datastore in vCenter without rebooting the machine.

Is it possible?

My config:

Dell PowerEdge R710 server with iDRAC 6 Enterprise
Dell PERC H700 internal storage controller
Dell PERC H800 external storage controller with two DAS disk shelves
VMware 5.5 booting from SDcard
vCenter 5.5 with Dell OpenManage Integration Plugin 2

Through Open Manage Integratilon tab in vCenter i see both controllers and all disks but cannot perform any operation.

DELL-Josh Cr · Accepted Answer

I checked and OMIWV can only monitor. You can use Openmanage Server Administrator to create new arrays remotely. Though Installing it requires a reboot. http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=YCYN1&fileId=3365343039&osCode=XI55&productCode=poweredge-t320&languageCode=EN&categoryId=SM

Page 37 http://topics-cdn.dell.com/pdf/dell-opnmang-srvr-admin-v7.4_Deployment%20Guide_en-us.pdf

Alternatively, you can try using the megacli for LSI controllers to create the new Raid array without rebooting. http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/virtualization/w/wiki/7438.storage-management-of-vmware-esxi-using-megacli

PNSRMPL · Answer

I have already newest firmware and newest OMIVV. To be clear, reconfiguration of existing arrays (virtual disks are not my main concern).

I'm looking for the following scenario:

Server is working but need additional storage space, so I adding for example 8x HDD SAS hot-swap disks to the empty slots in direct attached SAS diskshelf connected to my H800 controller. Disk are found and recognized by controller. So now I need to configure virtual disk with choosen RAID level - RAID0,10,5 or 6.

So how to do it without rebooting server and configuring from controller BIOS ?

regards

PNSRMPL · Answer

Again,

I have a VMware vSphere 5.5 host (Dell R710) with H700 controller for internal 8 disk RAID enclosure and H800 controller with SAS direct attached disk shelves (no logic in shelves all configuration are in H800 controller in server).

Normally i can reboot the host enter the H800 bios and setup the new array. That is not a problem.

However, I would like to know if I can set up this RAID without stopping the server and rebooting ?(and if yes how - which tool - some vmware cli for Dell PERC or via Dell Management software for VMware ? )

I think RAID level is irrelevant to this topic,

DELL-Josh Cr · Answer

Hi,

What Raid level are the virtual disks? What type of direct attached storage? If it is a multi level Raid, such as a Raid 10 you cannot reconfigure the array.

Updating the server to current on BIOS, Drac, as well as reinstall the correct OMIVV, which you can
find here. You will also want to update the raid controllers to
current as well(H700 and H800).

DELL-Chris H · Answer

,

PNSRMPL · Answer

Many thanks DELL-JOSH CER for you help.

Installing Dell Open Server Administrator 7.4 for VMware and Dell Open Server 7.4 for Windows as console gives me possibility of total control over my H700 and H800 RAID controllers inside working Dell R710 server with VMware ESXi 5.5 without need of rebooting.

Server Administrator giving full set of RAID/controller operations (virtual disk creation/deletion/migration, importing or clearing foreign configurations, set controller parameters, offline/online disk, power off disk, add/delete dedicated/global hotspare etc)

Installation are rather simple even without VMware Update Manager (Vmware Essentials).

p.s.

Regarding LSI CLI - they probably withdraw ESXi version in newest edition.

bgs

PowerEdge HDD/SCSI/RAID

Manage/create/change RAID on running VMware host without reboot.

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