automatic DRS and maintenance mode not working after U2

[robert_s]

I have seen a lot of questions regrading problems with automatic migration and DRS after Update 2. Now after Update 2 of ESX and VC I have the same problem - manual migration in a cluster of 2 Servers with 32GB RAM each works fine but automatic DRS and maintenance mode works no more.

HA and DRS with fully automated (four stars) level is enabled. HA setting "allow violation ..." is activated. Failover capacity from cluster summary is 1 host - configured failover capacity is 1 host.

Automatic DRS is doing nothing (not even recomendations). No load balancing any more. Even when all VM are running on one host in cluster. Same problem when starting maintenance mode. Only error mesage "unable to automatic migrate VMxxx from VM-Hostxxx" for each runnig vm on this host is displayed.

I have tried it with even only one active vm on a host. First after all VM's were migrated off the host the maintenance mode can be activated.

Is this a general Update 2 problem of ESX3 and VC? Are there any hints to get it working again like pre Update 2?

I have already tried all the hints from other "DRS/maintenance mode problem" threads like double check ressource pools and reservations, network setting, attached CD-ROMs etc. But nothing helps.

[WinkIT]

For some reason, HA is completely breaking DRS right now. Disabling HA fixes everything. It doesn't matter if you tell HA to let everything fail, burn, and explode...it still won't let you do anything. The best part is that it never throws an error or tells you what's going on.

[robert_s]

sorry, I didn't wrote it above - I have also tried it with deactivated HA. Only DRS was active in the cluster.

Same result - no automatic DRS actions or recomendations, no automatic migration but error messages ("unable to automatically ...") when activating maintenance mode.

VMware EVC (enhanced VMotion comatibility) is disabled in cluster settings. Both servers have same CPUs (Intel E5450 supported for EVC according to VMware documents ) and VT is enabled in BIOS but in cluser settings they are marekd as "incompatible hardware".

[fireguy306]

Any Update on this issue?? I am having the same problem.

[Aftenposten]

Hi,

I opened a support request about this issue today. And the reponse was that this is by design, it is actually in the release notes for Update 2 (should have read those more carefully). I just received a mail from support saying that this will be fixed in Update 3, but no release date for Update 3 yet.

Regards,

Gaute

[robert_s]

Thanks for the hint with release notes. I have found the information regarding the automatic migration before entering maintenace mode.

Virtual Machine Migrations Are Not Recommended When the ESX Server Host Is Entering the Maintenance or Standby Mode

No virtual machine migrations will be recommended (or performed, in fully automated mode) off of a host entering maintenance or standby mode, if the VMware HA failover level would be violated after the host enters the requested mode. This restriction applies whether strict HA admission control is enabled or not.

The problem exists still with not more working DRS.

I have to load balance manually. Even when all VMs are in in cluster on one host and the DRS automation level is set to aggresive mode no one VM is migrated automatically to the idle host.

Regards,

Robert

[TomHowarth]

The biggest irritant regarding this issue is that is was by design, and removed functionality found in previous versions.

Tom Howarth

VMware Communities User Moderator

[XModem]

Gah, I'm furious!

They just disable something which completely eliminates automated functionality of the Update Manager (which notably doesn't work all that great, now that they are sending out bundles which then makes UM fail on later patches in the pipeline)

I was at an installation of a customer and updated his ESX 3.0.2 based installation to the latest (but obviously not so much the greatest) patch which just disabled this. I was quite in trouble when I had to explain why this wouldn't work anymore - release notes one way or another, this is not acceptable IMO!