Detecting a RAID Failure on my ESXi Server

[meepmeep24]

I have and ESXi server running on and Intel SR2600 Rackmount Server and an LSI RAID controller card. I installed ESXi on a RAID-0 array and the Datastore on a RAID-5. If an element of either RAID group fails what type of notifications can I receive and where do I set them up? I need to know when a drive fails. I have 3 VMs running Windows 2003 on the ESXi server.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Welcome to the VMware Communities forums.

In the vSphere client you can go to Configuration > Health Status (when connecting to the host) or to the Hardware Status tab if you're using vCenter Server.  If you see the health status of the controller and RAID array then you'll be able to generate an alert.

With vCenter Server an alert is generated for a hardware / RAID failure and you can setup vCenter to send an email to you.  With ESXi you would have to create a custom script that will query the health status of the host.

Dave
VMware Communities User Moderator

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[Albertowmware]

i have esxi4.1 installed in hp server ( hp proliant ml350) with 2 hd in raid 1

i have tried to remove alternately the first and the second hd and the hypervisor boot

but i don't understand where is the alert indicate problem to a disk raid member

under heart status i have for example an alert for the power ( i have 2 power supply and if i disconnect one or other heard status detect this )

thanks Alberto

[scowse]

You might be needing this http://blog.peacon.co.uk/wiki/Esx-health.pl

It works well for me and it looks like you have a similar setup.

[golddiggie]

Since you installed ESXi on a RAID 0 array, if you have a drive failure/fault you're going to have to reinstall ESXi once you've replaced the bad drive. IF you went with RAID 1 (mirrored) you wouldn't have that issue.

At this point, you'll know when the RAID 0 array has an issue since all your VM's will be offline/down. This could be 'ok' in a lab environment, but typically becomes a RGE when in production.

[Albertowmware]

thank for reply

my raid is raid 1 ( a mirror of 2 disk) and my problem is how to have any alert report when a disk in in fault status

but i have not agait found the way for do it in esxi 4.1 in a hp proliant ml350

thanks again Alberto

[JacovT]

Hello,

I am also busy looking at this issue (I already have a failing drive in a RAID-5 array on a Proliant ML 350 G5).

I dont have the raid array visible under the health status.

From what I can gather, you are going to need to install the ESXi edition that includes the HP Insight manager tools embedded. This can then report / trigger an alert for you.

I will be going through this process this weekend, I will report back once I have an answer. :smileyhappy:

---Jaco

[a_p_]

No need to install the HP ESXi edition. HP offers the CIM providers as an Offline Bundle for supported servers.

For the ML350 G5 model see HP ESXi Offline Bundle for VMware ESXi 4.1 U1

André

[JacovT]

More info here:

http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-ESXi-HPProLiantServers-WP-EN.pdf

Hope this helps.

---Jaco

[DSTAVERT]

It is important to install the HP version or the offline bundle as posted in this thread. Unless you are managing the host using vCenter there is no notification other than an indicator in the hardware tab. If you don't have vCenter you might want to look at http://www.veeam.com/esxi-monitoring-free.html

[JacovT]

Here is the promised feedback. :smileyhappy:

I just successfully upgraded 2 ESXi installations from 4.1 to 4.1u1. At the same time I installed the HP ESXi Offline bundle, and I now have information on the Smart Array as well as the individual disks under the Health Status section.

I am going to give the free version of Veeam Monitor a shot to see if I can generate notifications when something goes bad.

Thank you.

---Jaco

[Albertowmware]

many thanks

Alberto

2011/5/22 JacovT <[e-mail]<mailto:[e-mail]>>

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Detecting a RAID Failure on my ESXi Server

reply from JacovT<http://communities.vmware.com/people/JacovT> in VMware ESXi™ 4 - View the full discussion<http://communities.vmware.com/message/1758842#1758842

[J1mbo]

My script will provide alerts (thanks Scowse above for the plug!): http://blog.peacon.co.uk/hardware-health-alerting-with-esxi/