Adaptec CIM and server health

[matthewk]

ESXi looks interesting, but I'm very concerned with monitoring my RAID array. Since there's no Service Console, I can't install Adaptec Storage Manager (ASM). Does the current revision of ESXi support monitoring Adaptec 5 series SAS cards? If not, what comparable card would have support?

Just to clarify, I'm not asking about driver support - the 5 series is on the HCL - I'm concerned with monitoring in case a drive needs replacement.

[JoFu]

What do you mean by that? Is my english that bad?

[FragKing]

LOL.

Sorry, that was part of my e-mail autoreply message.

Seems like it has been cut off on the first sentence.

Cheers

[JoFu]

I got a reply from Adatepc, they basically told me it's not their fault but VMWare.

They also send me this link: http://community.zenoss.org/docs/DOC-5816

[jramiro]

Workaround: create a RAID 0 array that spans all the disks you want to monitor. You can easyly check the status/health of this array in ESXi. If it fails, it means one (or more) of the disks has failed.

[Truelies]

Hi All, so no news at all about the availability of a  RAID monitoring for ESXi 4.0 and Adaptec controllers, correct? :smileyshocked:

[keebs201110141]

Adaptec sent me this on 01-12-11:

Hello from Adaptec,

thank you for your reply.
We are still working on it, and we hope to have a CIM for ESXi for the next release coming in March.

Kind regards

Adaptec technical Support

Can anyone provide any insight on how they installed the command line monitoring utilities? I have SSH access and copied the files to the datastore on esxi 4.1, but the RPM commands won't run on ESXi, so how did you get past that point?

[DSTAVERT]

Any of the monitoring agents for ESX would not function for ESXi. ESX has a semi complete Lunux console based on Redhat 5.x whereas ESXi has a very lightweight busybox console and lacks most of the libraries, etc. that would be required.

[keebs201110141]

DSavert, Although you are correct based on the design of ESXi, I've found at least two individuals who have successfully installed the CLI utilities within ESXi - so it can be done. I'm looking for assistance from those individuals.

[invNT]

I have been using (patched) arcconf for about 1 year. And there is a simple monitoring script that connects via ssh to the ESXi box periodically and checks its raid status. So for now i almost lost any interest to adaptec CIM progress

[DSTAVERT]

http://unix.soteks.org/2009/linux/arcconf-bash-reporting-script/#more-154 for the script.

[davidemiccone]

Hello invNT how have you patched arcconf?

Trying to use arcconf under vSphere ESXi 4.1 I get

arcconf: error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

obviously because ESXi has libstdc++.so.6. I cantt install compat-libstdc++-3 on ESXi, and I don't wont to install new software. Is it possibily to re-compile arcconf that use libstdc++.so.6

Any conseil will be appreciated.

[Firemike1]

hello

you can get arcconf running on ESXi this way

# cp libstdc++.so.5.0.7  /lib64
# chmod 755  libstdc++.so.5.0.7
# ln -s libstdc++.so.5.0.7  libstdc++.so.5

# ./arcconf-64 GETCONFIG 1 LD

but acconf wont find any raidcontroller because of

"arcconf looks for /dev/aac0, /dev/aac1, etc, wheheas ESXi has /dev/aac"

now - how to do a symlinc in folder  /dev ?

or patch arcconf ?

[davidemiccone]

Hello,

have you found any way to let arcconf work on ESXi?

Any conseil will be appreciated.

Who are the individuals tha have successfully installed the CLI?  I installed the CLI, arcconf run but don't find the controller..... 😞

[riks06]

Hello Firemike1,
I have tried for two days to see if i succeeded to find a version patch of arcconf, but i don't have found.

You could explain to me like modification arcconf or sent your patch version of arcconf?
You would be of great aid.

Best Regards

Riccardo

[riks06]

please please no one can I help me?

[invNT]

What RAID card do you have? The patched (hacked) version of esxi proved to be stable for 5805, 4000sas - compatible.

(Update: for 2405 it reportedly works stable as well)

[riks06]

Hello invNT,

I have a controller adaptec 2020zcr.

You cold send the file arcconf or explain to me as you have made to modify it?

Thanks for the fast answer.

Best Regards

[gadina]

invNT, would you help us with manual - how to patch arcconf for ESXi 4.1 ?

Also - it is possible to use patched arcconf with Adaptec 2405 ?

Will waiting for your answer.

Any help will be appreciated  )

[molko]

Hello,

there is a new Adaptec CIM Provider v7.00.18781 for VMware (http://www.adaptec.com/en-us/speed/raid/storage_manager/cim_vmware_v7_00_18781_zip.htm) compatible to my Adaptec RAID 5805. I follow the procedures to install

-vmware -v: VMware ESXi 4.1.0 build-348481

-esxupdate query --vib-view|grep aacraid -> Output
deb_vmware-esx-drivers-scsi-aacraid_400.4.1.1.5.1-1vmw.1.4.348481        installed     2011-01-13T01:34:35+00:00       
cross_vmware-esx-drivers-scsi-aacraid_400.4.1.7.28000-1OEM                 installed     2011-04-14T10:49:32.121619+00:00

On the esxi machine :

-esxupdate ‐‐bundle=arcconf‐18781.zip ‐‐nodeps ‐‐nosigcheck ‐‐maintenancemode update

reboot esxi

Install on ESXi 4.1 Linux GuestOS (centos 5.5)

./ remote‐arcconf‐7.00‐18781.i386.bin

reboot Guest

Connection from Linux GuestOS to esxi host works but arcconf founds no Controller:

arcconf  GETCONFIG 0

Controllers found: 0
Invalid controller number.

Maybe it's the problem Firemike1 mentioned :

"arcconf looks for /dev/aac0, /dev/aac1, etc, wheheas ESXi has /dev/aac"

         now - how to do a symlinc in folder  /dev ?

         or patch arcconf ?"

(ln -s aac aac0 -> ln: aac0: Function not implemented)

Any help will be appreciated  )

[Firemike1]

Additional to your new CIM-provider installation

http://www.adaptec.com/en-us/speed/raid/storage_manager/cim_vmware_v7_00_18781_zip.htm

you will have to check if the Driver version 28000 is installed on the ESX-i Host system for the ADAPTEC Controller.

For example try the following.

1. Use ‘vmkload_mod -s aacraid’ to list the driver version:
    # vmkload_mod -s aacraid

2. or Use ‘esxupdate query’ to query the aacraid driver package:
    esxupdate query --vib-view | grep -i aacraid

You can find the download to the 28000 driver here.

http://www.adaptec.com/en-us/speed/raid/aac/linux/aacraid_vmware_esx_esxi_drivers_1_1_7-28000_tgz.ht...

Here are the instructions on how to update the drivers ( be sure to take the .vib file for esx-i )

Copy ‘vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-400.4.1.7.28000-1.0.4.260247.x86_64.vib’ to a local directory on ESXi 4.1 (eg. /tmp).

/tmp  # esxupdate -b  vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-400.4.1.7.28000-1.0.4.260247.x86_64.vib  --nodeps --maintenancemode --nosigcheck update

In your remoteVM  try the command  arcconf GETCONFIG 1 AD

Should run now !