VMware ESXi: VMAX Devices Discovered With Failed or Dead Paths Due to Incorrect NMP Rule

Observed behavior after attaching VMAX storage

The ESXi host cannot claim the newly attached VMAX devices. All paths to the devices appear dead, and the host reports that the devices are unregistered.

• VMkernel logs contain warnings indicating an unknown check condition and failure to select a path for an unregistered device.
• Multipath information shows the path as dead and the device as notfound .
• The Fabric Array streams error codes 7C.1213.03 and 7C.EF22.00 every five minutes against the devices masked to the ESX host.
• The ESX host is unable to access the VMAX devices.

WARNING: VMW_SATP_INV: satp_inv_determineStatus:197: Unknown Check condition 0/2 0x5 0x24 0x0.
WARNING: vmw_psp_rr: psp_rrSelectPathToActivate:1099: Could not select path for device "Unregistered Device".
WARNING: NMP: nmpPathClaimEnd:1204: Device, seen through path vmhba4:C0:T3:L0 is not registered (no active paths)

HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathRuntime: vmhba4:C0:T3:L0,fc.2000000e1xxxxxxx:2100000e1xxxxxxx-fc.50000975b00xxxxx:50000975b00xxxxx-
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathState:  dead
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathDeviceName: notfound
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathDeviceDisplayName: notfound
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathAdapter: vmhba4
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathChannel: 0
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathTarget: 3
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathLun: 0
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathPlugin: NMP
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathTransport: fc
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathAdapterTransport: notfound
HostMultipathStateInfo-349-MpathTargettransport: fc.50000975b00xxxxx:50000975b00xxxxx

[FA log] Every 5 minutes: streaming error 7C.1213.03 and 7C.EF22.00 against devices masked to the ESX host

Incorrect Default NMP Rule Prevents Device Claiming

VMware ESXi uses Native Multipathing (NMP) to claim storage devices. The default SATP rule applied to EMC devices was VMW_SATP_INV , which is unsuitable for VMAX arrays. This rule caused the ESXi host to treat VMAX devices as unregistered, resulting in dead paths.

Evidence from Logs

WARNING: VMW_SATP_INV: satp_inv_determineStatus:197: Unknown Check condition 0/2 0x5 0x24 0x0.
WARNING: vmw_psp_rr: psp_rrSelectPathToActivate:1099: Could not select path for device "Unregistered Device".
WARNING: NMP: nmpPathClaimEnd:1204: Device, seen through path vmhba4:C0:T3:L0 is not registered (no active paths)

Current SATP Rule List

Correct Rule According to Documentation

The Dell EMC VMAX and PowerMax integration guide specifies that the default rule for EMC devices should be VMW_SATP_SYMM with a system‑level rule group and the round‑robin PSP.

VMW_SATP_SYMM                EMC                                 system                              VMW_PSP_RR

Impact of the Incorrect Rule

• The host applies VMW_SATP_INV instead of VMW_SATP_SYMM .
• VMAX devices remain unclaimed, leading to dead paths.
• FA on the array logs streaming errors (7C.1213.03, 7C.EF22.00) every 5 minutes.

Correcting the Default NMP SATP Rule for EMC VMAX Devices

Prerequisites

• Administrative access to the ESXi host (root privileges).
• VMware ESXi version that supports the esxcli storage nmp commands.
• Access to the ESXi Shell or SSH session.
• Backup of the host configuration (optional but recommended).

Resolution Steps

1. Remove the incorrect default SATP rule ( VMW_SATP_INV ) that is currently applied to EMC devices.

   # esxcli storage nmp satp rule remove -s "VMW_SATP_INV" -o "iops=100" -V "EMC" -P "VMW_PSP_RR"
           

2. Set the correct default SATP rule ( VMW_SATP_SYMM ) with the Round‑Robin PSP ( VMW_PSP_RR ).

   # esxcli nmp satp setdefaultrulepsp -s VMW_SATP_SYMM -P VMW_PSP_RR
           

3. Force the host to re‑evaluate and claim the storage devices using the new rule.

   # esxcli storage core claimrule run
   # esxcli storage core claimrule load
           

4. Reboot the ESXi host to ensure all changes take effect cleanly.

   # reboot
           

5. (Optional) For VMAX, VMAX3, VMAX All‑Flash, and PowerMax arrays, improve performance by adding a rule that limits IOPS to 1 per path.

   # esxcli storage nmp satp rule add -s "VMW_SATP_SYMM" -V "EMC" -M "SYMMETRIX" -P "VMW_PSP_RR" -O "iops=1"
           

   If you prefer the default IOPS setting, you may omit this step; the default is iops=1000 .

Verification

• After the host reboots, check vmkernel.log for the absence of warnings related to VMW_SATP_INV or “Unregistered Device”.
• Run esxcli storage core device list and confirm that the VMAX LUNs show an active path status.
• Use esxcli storage nmp device list to verify that the device is claimed with the VMW_SATP_SYMM rule and the VMW_PSP_RR PSP.
• Confirm that the array’s front‑end logs no longer report streaming errors for the affected devices.