"esxcli storage core device list" detects the PERC only

An OS will never see the real drives behind a HW raid controller so smart will not work.

If you reconfigure your HBA from RAID to Passtrough or using a HBA330, which is a real Passtrough only controller (for vSAN for example.) you have a chance.

Regards,
Joerg

So ... who is guilty? Please look at the example here:

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1014953

KB1014953 doesnt contains any information about "smart" information.  Right now the problem sits between screen and chair

Again.... ESXi can see the a LUN which the RAID HBA present but is unable to look behind and identify the real phys. device. So even detecting a SSD within a RAID was not possible with old 13Gen. Server and PERC and you have to tag the LUN as "SSD" manually.

Today its better and for sure its easy with a HBA330 which doesnt "mask" the drives.

Not sure about the H730p.  H740 can switch between RAID and Pass through Mode.

Regards,
Joerg

 

Are we talking about the same?

Please find the "Run the esxcli storage core device list". What do you think it returns - and when? You can run it in your environment, if you want - it's safe.

For comparison - this is a good example where it all works as expected.

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2040405

 

Thats how it looks for a disk comming through a PERC

naa.6d4ae5209bb1cf0017e9cba412ad8575
   Display Name: Local DELL Disk (naa.6d4ae5209bb1cf0017e9cba412ad8575)
   Has Settable Display Name: true
   Size: 20480
   Device Type: Direct-Access
   Multipath Plugin: NMP
   Devfs Path: /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6d4ae5209bb1cf0017e9cba412ad8575
   Vendor: DELL
   Model: PERC H710P
   Revision: 3.13
   SCSI Level: 5

and as expected there is no smart

[root@esx-node-92:~] esxcli storage core device smart get -d naa.6d4ae5209bb1cf0017e9cba412ad8575
Error getting Smart Parameters: Cannot open device

 

and and working example from my Dell non RAID HBA

[root@esx-node-99:~] esxcli storage core device smart get -d naa.55cd2e414e2423bd
Parameter                     Value  Threshold  Worst
----------------------------  -----  ---------  -----
Health Status                 OK     N/A        N/A
Media Wearout Indicator       100    0          100
Write Error Count             N/A    N/A        N/A
Read Error Count              130    39         130
Power-on Hours                100    0          100
Power Cycle Count             100    0          100
Reallocated Sector Count      100    1          100
Raw Read Error Rate           130    39         130
Drive Temperature             100    0          100
Driver Rated Max Temperature  N/A    N/A        N/A
Write Sectors TOT Count       100    0          100
Read Sectors TOT Count        100    0          100
Initial Bad Block Count       N/A    N/A        N/A

What do you expect to see and did you read the node at 4. from KB2040405?

Regards,
Joerg

 

I will try to highlight the important note from the VMware KB you might be overlooked... its the text in red/bold.

 

4. Read the data from the device where device is a value found in step 3:

# esxcli storage core device smart get -d device>

Note: External FC/iSCSI LUNs or virtual disks from a RAID controller might not report a S.M.A.R.T. status.

Regards,
Joerg

"and working example from my Dell non RAID HBA"

Well, what if the standard PERC is in RAID mode?

What I would like to see is pretty simple: list of the disks and the SMART details for the disk selected from the list. In other case i am wondering how to use this "smart get" command to receive at least something useful - not the PERC name after the first command and the "can not open the device"  message after the second one. Nothing special, in fact.

 

Yes, correct, already noted. But it stops earlier - I can not receive the correct device list.

From the same KB - see the previous command: 

# esxcli storage core device list
The expected output is a list with all SCSI devices seen by the ESXi host.

Can I get it if the PERC is in the RAID mode?

Yes, the "esxcli storage core device list" returns a list of all virtual disks your PERC have configured.
You have already on or more VDs on the PERC and formated them as a VMFS Datastore?

There is the output of the one configured VD in a RAID1 Diskgroup on a PERC H330.

[root@wueesx001:~] esxcli storage core device list
naa.6b083fe0c5d7c70025cd8f0466d1f664
   Display Name: Local DELL Disk (naa.6b083fe0c5d7c70025cd8f0466d1f664)
   Has Settable Display Name: false
   Size: 237952
   Device Type: Direct-Access
   Multipath Plugin: HPP
   Devfs Path: /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6b083fe0c5d7c70025cd8f0466d1f664
   Vendor: DELL
   Model: PERC H330 Mini
   Revision: 4.30
   SCSI Level: 5
   Is Pseudo: false
   Status: on
   Is RDM Capable: true
   Is Local: true
   Is Removable: false
   Is SSD: true
   Is VVOL PE: false
   Is Offline: false
   Is Perennially Reserved: false
   Queue Full Sample Size: 0
   Queue Full Threshold: 0
   Thin Provisioning Status: unknown
   Attached Filters:
   VAAI Status: unsupported
   Other UIDs: vml.02000000006b083fe0c5d7c70025cd8f0466d1f664504552432048
   Is Shared Clusterwide: false
   Is SAS: true
   Is USB: false
   Is Boot Device: false
   Device Max Queue Depth: 64
   No of outstanding IOs with competing worlds: 32
   Drive Type: logical
   RAID Level: RAID1
   Number of Physical Drives: 2
   Protection Enabled: false
   PI Activated: false
   PI Type: 0
   PI Protection Mask: NO PROTECTION
   Supported Guard Types: NO GUARD SUPPORT
   DIX Enabled: false
   DIX Guard Type: NO GUARD SUPPORT
   Emulated DIX/DIF Enabled: false

 

For comparison:

 

Please share your view.

I already post the output and show you my naa.6b083fe0c5d7c70025cd8f0466d1f664. 

Your screenshot is all what you get and there is nothing more. So whats the problem right now?

Regards,
Joerg

Well, the problem (for me) is just what I already said above in the topic subject.

I do not see the disks using esxcli - it shows the PERC+8 drives, thus can not get SMART details, again, using other esxcli command. Nothing more. Nothing less.

If it is what I have to expect - I will live with it. Although the answers may vary.

https://communities.vmware.com/t5/ESXi-Discussions/ESXi-cannot-detect-disks/m-p/2718667#M267580

Would be great to see it all better documented and explained somewhere.

Expected behavior as i have explained in my first post and what is documented on the KB as well.
You see the Virtual disk which the PERC provided.

What you have last postet was about trouble to install a driver in esxi to get a not so well supportet controller to work and when something is only supportet for ESX 5.5 it doesnt mean that it also works on 6.0. So this was completely different.

Regards,
Joerg

Well, thanks again for your comments. 

FYI, as said in the driver-related example ... "Thanks, this driver fixed the problem", and the problem itself was "ESXi cannot detect disks.".