Just fixed my dead path issue on an Adaptec 29320ALP with a Quantum LTO4 tape drive.
Same issue as referenced here:
http://communities.vmware.com/message/1584893
Only problem is, the command syntax has changed in ESXi 5.0. I figured out the new syntax (shown below) by using tab complete until I got something that looked right. This is confirmed working for me. Not sure why VMWare hasn't fixed this issue yet. Enjoy!
esxcli storage nmp satp rule add -s VMW_SATP_LOCAL --driver="aic79xx" --description="Specific rule for Adaptec Card"
