Hot add didn't work for one server

[darrellarbaugh]

Is this going to be a limitation going forward, or merely a code fix for later down the road?

[Gostev]

Darrel, if I am not mistaken this specific issue sits in vStorage API itself, I will double-check with the devs tomorrow. VMware is very actively maintaining and developing vStorage API, so I am sure this will be fixed down the road.

[darrellarbaugh]

Now when you mention it is 200GB datastore and 500GB VMDK, I recognize one known issue we have documented in the release notes : So looks like this issue has nothing to do with VMFS block size...

So this known issue is due to the vStorage API?

[darrellarbaugh]

So, I think I have to call bull on this. I have a new installation. 3 VM's. Two of the VM's are 40GB each, with 4 GB of ram sitting on a datastore of 126 GB. This leaves the datastore with 38 GB available, which is what the datastore reports. Another VM is 465GB with 4GB of ram on a different datastore.

When I replicate using Hot Add on the server that is on the 126 GB datastore, with 38 GB free, when replicating a 40 GB VM, it works like a champ. When I try to replicate the 465 GB VM, the replication stops after creating a snapshot on the first disk and bails out with the error message below. Both VM's replicate just fine over the network, so I doubt there is corruption to deal with.

4 of 7 files processed

Total VM size: 465.45 GB
Processed size: 12.78 KB
Processing rate: 0 KB/s
Backup mode: HOTADD with changed block tracking
Start time: 3/17/2010 3:13:14 PM
End time: 3/17/2010 3:15:14 PM
Duration: 0:01:59

Replicating file "[SAS Volume 1 LUN 1] customer.server.name.removed/customer.server.name.removed-flat.vmdk"
BackupDisk failed
Client error: Failed to open VDDK disk [[SAS Volume 1 LUN 1] customer.server.name.removed/customer.server.name.removed.vmdk] ( is read-only mode - [true] )
Logon attempt with parameters [VC/ESX: [10.0.0.101];Port: 902;Login: [root];VMX Spec: [moref=16];Snapshot mor: [16-snapshot-17];Transports: [hotadd]] failed because of the following errors:

Server error: End of file


Am I missing something here?

[Gostev]

I have confirmed with devs and yes, this is indeed current vStorage API limitation for the hot add processing mode.

[icebun]

Hi Gostov,

If I read correctly, are these the limitations for using the Virtual Appliance mode:-

- You must ensure that the Diskpart Automount disable command is used on the VBR server

- That the Datastore in which the VBR server resides is large enough to handle the biggest VMDK disk that will be attached to the VBR server at any one time during backup

- That in any case, there is a restriction of 1TB file size for the mounting of the VMDK file as under version 1.1.1 of the the API

In my environment, where I have very large VMDK disks (over the 1TB) I have been using the Network Mode (under vStorage API). All the other smaller VMs use Virtual Appliance mode.

[Gostev]

Hello,

1. Requirement to disable automount is not specific to Virtual Appliance, and should also be done direct SAN access mode. This was mandatory requirements for VCB backups as well, so nothing new here really.

2. Correct, this is limitation of the current version of vStorage API in hotadd mode. Nothing is actually copied or staged on VBR server's datastore, but without enough free space the vStorage API would fail out due to some internal check failing.

3. Correct, this is limitation of the current version of vStorage API in hotadd mode.

Thanks!
Anton

[ian0x0r]

How to drag up an old thread?!

Thought I would post a thank you here though, becase I have been struggling with a VM in VA Hotadd mode in B&R 5.0.2.230 that just would not hot add a VMDK. Turns out the Veeam server needed to be moved to a different data store with a larger block size as I was trying to attach a 750Gb vmdk.

The good news is, I have no where near 750Gb free on the datastore and can back up just fine. I guess the vAPI has been improved since this thread was started.