Hardware acceleration in Unknown status

[PSorokin]

Hello everyone,

I've faced with the strange situation:

I am using vCenter server + LabManager Virtual environment. Recently whole infrastructure was upgraded to the 4.1 version.

So as far as I understand my ESX hosts now could utilize VAAI command to the SAN storage. I didn't disabled VAAI support:

     # vmware -v
               VMware ESX 4.1.0 build-348481

     # esxcfg-advcfg -g /DataMover/HardwareAcceleratedMove
          Value of HardwareAcceleratedMove is 1
     # esxcfg-advcfg -g /DataMover/HardwareAcceleratedInit
          Value of HardwareAcceleratedInit is 1
     # esxcfg-advcfg -g /VMFS3/HardwareAcceleratedLocking
          Value of HardwareAcceleratedLocking is 1

But status of "Hardware acceleration" in the storage configuration of the ESX is still not changed:

I tried to copy vmdk files on storages using ESX interface, cloned VMs...like it was written in the vmware FAQ but nothing happens.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Just trying to understand why do I have such behaviour.

[vmroyale]

Hello.

Note: This discussion was moved from the VMware ESX 4 community to the VMware vSphere Storage community.

Weird - the operations you performed should have updated the status.  This came up recently and the solution was a host reboot. 

Good Luck!

[PSorokin]

Thanks a lot!

I've tried to make "HBA rescan" instead of the reboot as it was told in like you provided, but no success.

Looks like only reboot could solve the situation.

Unfortunately I haven't possibility to restart hosts now.

By the way - do ESX hosts use VAAI while it is not showed in status? Or they will start using it ONLY after reboot?

[vmroyale]

My understanding is that VAAI should be in use, since your hosts are set up properly.  I believe this might just be a display issue.  It might be interesting to run a few clones, copies, etc and time them now vs later and see what the results show.

[PSorokin]

Made a few tests...

Looks like "HBA rescan" fixes information per LUN:

If I go to the "Storage adapters" section I see the following information:

But after rescaning the HBA adapters it changes to the following:

But in the "Storage" section nothing changes, all hba in "Unknown" status.

P.S. Looks like my SAN storage doesn't support VAAI, heh

[vmroyale]

You can use the HCL to see if your SAN is supported, and if a firmware update is required to get there.  Just change the "What are you looking for" field to "Storage/SAN" and then use the "Additional Criteria" to search.

[PSorokin]

I did such check before upgrade, but did not remember details (just knew that it should work).

Checked it again:

SAN is CLARiiON CX4-120

ESX uses qla2xx driver:

     # esxcfg-module -l | egrep 'bfa|lpfc|qla'
          qla2xxx                  2    1144

     # esxcfg-module -g qla2xxx
          qla2xxx enabled = 1 options = ''

According to the HCL it should work with the following configuration:

Firmware Version   : Flare 29

Test Configuration  : HW FCoE Switch

Device Driver          : qla2xxx 831.k1.23vmw

MPP Plugin           : NMP

SATP Plugin          : VMW_SATP_ALUA_CX

PSP Plugin            : VMW_PSP_FIXED

UPDATE:

Looks like my PSP is "Most recently used (VMware)" and SATP is "VMW_SATP_CX"

I have to read which PSP is better, and whether it's possible to switch PSP and SATP without moving VMs out of the host or not.

[DSTAVERT]

Isn't VAAI only supported on Enterprise or Plus?

[PSorokin]

I am using "vSphere 4 Enterprice" license.

Should be OK