VMware vSAN: How to replace a cache disk using vSphere Web Client

Summary: This article explains how to replace a cache disk in a vSAN configuration.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Instructions

In the vSAN environment in which SSD and hard disk drive are mixed, SSD used as cache memory is called cache disk, hard disk drive used as data space is called capacity disk.

WARNING: You must back up the data before performing this step.

 

Table of Contents

1.　How to Replace a Cache Disk
2.　Additional Information: Unable to Remove Disk Group

 

How to Replace a Cache Disk

 

If the problem occurred on the cache disk, it is a disk group level problem.
Therefore, the disk group must be re-created.

 

Note: Depending on the version, the disk group icon may not appear on the vSphere Web Client even if the problem occurred on a cache disk. In this case, see the steps described in the section below.

 

Replacement Steps

  1. Click the icon on the top of vSphere Web Client to switch to the maintenance mode.
    It is recommended to switch to the maintenance mode before replacement unless there is a special reason.
    See the Place a Member of vSAN Cluster in Maintenance ModeThis hyperlink is taking you to a website outside of Dell Technologies. for switching to maintenance mode, and its types.

  2. Click the icon at the top to remove the appropriate cache disk.
    Removing the cache disk removes the disk group.

  3. Replace the applicable cache disk physically.

  4. After the replacement, click the "Add" icon at the top of vSphere Web Client.
    shows the vSphere Web client and where to click

 

  • Select a cache disk from the upper list, a capacity disk from the lower list, and click OK.
    shows the selection of the cache disk

 

  • Once the created disk group is displayed, release the maintenance mode.
    shows the disk group

 

 

  • Confirm that the capacity of the re-created disk group is added to the capacity of the vSAN data store.

  • Since alerts remain even if the problem is solved, click Confirm or Reset to Green to delete manually.
    shows alerts

 

 

Additional Information

 

Unable to Remove Disk Group
The disk group icon may not be displayed on the vSphere Web Client, or removal of the disk group may be failed.
In that case, try the following steps:

 

  1. Connect to the applicable host using SSH.

  2. Confirm the capacity disk "mpx.vmhbax:Cx:Tx:Lx" by running the command: esxcli vsan storage list or vdq -q -H

  3. Remove the applicable capacity disk mpx.vmhbax:Cx:Tx:Lx individually by running the command: esxcli vsan storage remove --evacuation-mode=noAction --disk=mpx.vmhbax:Cx:Tx:Lx.
    Example: esxcli vsan storage remove --evacuation-mode=noAction --disk= mpx.vmhba1:C0:T4:L0

  4. Replace the cache disk physically and create a disk group on the vSphere Web Client.

 

Now you can select the replaced cache disk and the existing capacity disk which was removed.

 

Affected Products

OEMR R230, OEMR R240, OEMR R250, OEMR XE R250, OEMR R260, OEMR XE R260, OEMR R330, OEMR R340, OEMR R350, OEMR XE R350, OEMR R360, OEMR XE R360, OEMR R430, OEMR R440, PowerEdge XR2, OEMR R450, OEMR R530, OEMR R540, OEMR R550, OEMR R5500, OEMR R630 , OEMR R640, OEMR XL R640, OEMR R6415, OEMR R650, OEMR R650xs, OEMR R6515, OEMR R6525, OEMR R660, OEMR XL R660, OEMR R660xs, OEMR R6615, OEMR R6625, OEMR R730, OEMR R730xd, OEMR R740, OEMR XL R740, OEMR R740xd, OEMR XL R740xd, OEMR R740xd2, OEMR R7415, OEMR R7425, OEMR R750, OEMR R750xa, OEMR R750xs, OEMR R7515, OEMR R7525, OEMR R760, OEMR R760xa, OEMR R760XD2, OEMR XL R760, OEMR R760xs, OEMR R7615, OEMR R7625, OEMR R830, OEMR R840, OEMR R860, OEMR R930, OEMR R940, OEMR R940xa, OEMR R960, OEMR T130, OEMR T140, OEMR T150, OEMR T330, OEMR T340, OEMR T350, OEMR T360, OEMR T430, OEMR T440, OEMR T550, OEMR T560, OEMR T630, OEMR T640, OEMR XL T640, OEMR XL R230, OEMR XL R240, OEMR XL R330, OEMR XL R340, OEMR XL R630, OEMR XL R660xs, OEMR XL R6615, OEMR XL R6625, OEMR XL R6715, OEMR XL R6725, OEMR XL R730, OEMR XL R730XD, OEMR XL R760xs, OEMR XL R7615, OEMR XL R7625, OEMR XL R7715, OEMR XL R7725, OEMR XR11, OEMR XR12, OEMR XR4510c, OEMR XR4520c, OEMR XR5610, OEMR XR7620, OEMR XR8610t, OEMR XR8620t, PowerEdge C4130, Poweredge C4140, PowerEdge c6320, PowerEdge c6320p, PowerEdge C6420, PowerEdge C6520, PowerEdge C6525, PowerEdge C6615, PowerEdge C6620, Poweredge FC430, Poweredge FC630, PowerEdge FC640, Poweredge FC830, PowerEdge HS5610, PowerEdge HS5620, PowerEdge M630, PowerEdge M630 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge M640, PowerEdge M640 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge M830, PowerEdge M830 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge MX740C, PowerEdge MX750c, PowerEdge MX760c, PowerEdge MX840C, PowerEdge R230, PowerEdge R240, PowerEdge R250, PowerEdge R260, PowerEdge R330, PowerEdge R340, PowerEdge R350, PowerEdge R360, PowerEdge R430, PowerEdge R440, PowerEdge R450, PowerEdge R470, PowerEdge R530, PowerEdge R530xd, PowerEdge R540, PowerEdge R550, PowerEdge R630, PowerEdge R640, PowerEdge R6415, PowerEdge R650, PowerEdge R650xs, PowerEdge R6515, PowerEdge R6525, PowerEdge R660, PowerEdge R660xs, PowerEdge R6615, PowerEdge R6625, PowerEdge R670, PowerEdge R730, PowerEdge R730xd, PowerEdge R740, PowerEdge R740XD, PowerEdge R740XD2, PowerEdge R7415, PowerEdge R7425, PowerEdge R750, PowerEdge R750XA, PowerEdge R750xs, PowerEdge R7515, PowerEdge R7525, PowerEdge R760, PowerEdge R760XA, PowerEdge R760xd2, PowerEdge R760xs, PowerEdge R7615, PowerEdge R7625, PowerEdge R770, PowerEdge R7715, PowerEdge R7725, PowerEdge R830, PowerEdge R840, PowerEdge R860, PowerEdge R930, PowerEdge R940, PowerEdge R940xa, PowerEdge R960, PowerEdge T130, PowerEdge T140, PowerEdge T150, PowerEdge T160, PowerEdge T30, PowerEdge T330, PowerEdge T340, PowerEdge T350, PowerEdge T360, PowerEdge T40, PowerEdge T430, PowerEdge T440, PowerEdge T550, PowerEdge T560, PowerEdge T630, PowerEdge T640, POWEREDGE VRTX, PowerEdge XR11, PowerEdge XR12, PowerEdge XR4510c, PowerEdge XR4520c, PowerEdge XR5610, PowerEdge XR7620, PowerEdge XR8610t, PowerEdge XR8620t, VMware ESXi 6.5.X, VMware ESXi 6.7.X, VMware ESXi 7.x, VMware ESXi 8.x, VMware VSAN, Dell EMC vSAN C6420 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN MX740c Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN MX750c Ready Node, Dell vSAN Ready Node MX760c, Dell EMC vSAN R440 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R640 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R6415 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R650 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R6515 Ready Node, vSAN Ready Node R660, Dell vSAN R6615 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R740 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R740xd Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R750 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R7515 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN R760 Ready Node, Dell vSAN R7615 Ready Node, Dell vSAN Ready Node R7625, Dell EMC vSAN R840 Ready Node, Dell EMC vSAN T350 Ready Node ...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000120252
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 19 Feb 2025
Version:  9
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