Tera Station III as NFS Storage for ESX

[Zeremon]

   

Hello,

 

we have a Terra Station III (TS-XL) with Firmware 1.06. I want to use this device as a NFS-Storage for a ESX 3.5.0 158874 (U4).

The mount of the NFS share on the ESX over the Virtual Center works fine, I also can use the VMware Databrowser to copy files to the share but after that I didn't see them in the Datastore Browser or in a other ESX GUI (e.g. mount ISO files).

The files a definitively there, i see them over the normal CIFS share, and I also get a error message when I try to create a second file with the same name over the Datastore Browser.

But the VMware Datastore Browser shows the folder always as empty.

 

Some ideas?

 

Regards, bernd

[rinthos]

   

Can you check from the esx console (command-line)?

There's been some mixed results w/ using the VIC client for 3.5u4 but i believe an updated version was eventually released.  long story short, the CLI will set things straight. 

If missing there then there's some sort of issue that needs further troubleshooting...

---

 

[Zeremon]

   

Hi rinthos,

 

I have tested it on the ESX cli now. "Gollom NFS" is the TerraStation, the "NFS on arwen" is a NFS share on a RedHat Linux server (RHEL5).

 

[root@Ellis volumes]# ls
4a0c8432-01e606e5-7e5b-00237d231f84  Gollom NFS
4a78de33-9b907e55                    LocalDiskEllis
ce9223b5-fbabadad                    NFS on arwen.uk.omicron.at
[root@Ellis volumes]# cd Gollom\ NFS/
[root@Ellis Gollom NFS]# ls
ls: reading directory .: Function not implemented
[root@Ellis Gollom NFS]# cd ..
[root@Ellis volumes]# cd NFS\ on\ arwen.uk.omicron.at/
[root@Ellis NFS on arwen.uk.omicron.at]# ls
boot_cd_401_091307_full_license.zip  Novell Client 4.91 SP5 for Windows.exe
[root@Ellis NFS on arwen.uk.omicron.at]#

 

bernd

[Chuck]

   

Zeremon,

 

I've also added our Terastation III to our ESX environment (3.5u4, build 176894) and am experiencing the same exact problem.

 

I've tried to change the delegate user in ESX to no avail, and am wondering if you've had any luck with that?

 

Here's the link to a vmware article describing how to set/change delegate access: 

http://pubs.vmware.com/vi35u2/server_config/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=server_config&file=sc_security_auth.16.9.html">http://pubs.vmware.com/vi35u2/server_config/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=server_config&file=sc_security_auth.16.9.html  

 

Also, according to vmware's "Server 3 Configuration Guide" there should be a .lck-xxx file created in the NFS volume, but I haven't seen it.  Have you?

 

This excerpt taken directly from their guide:

 

WARNING When ESX Server 3 accesses a virtual machine disk file on an NFS‐baseddatastore, a special

.lck-XXX lock file is generated in the same directory where the disk

file resides to prevent other ESX Server 3 hosts from accessing this virtual disk file. Do

not remove the .lck-XXX lock file, because without it, the running virtual machine

cannot access its virtual disk file.

 

 

I hope you're getting farther than I am....

 

-Chuck

[Zeremon]

   

Hi Chuck,

 

thank's for your replay. The vmware article over the delegate user sounds interesting, I didn't know that it is possible to change the NFS access user.

But I have to problems with this: 1. I dont't wont to use a experimental setting on the ESX only because of the Terastation. 2. This ESX server is in production at a outside location and I cannot boot the server in the moment.

 

Bernd

[Chuck]

   

Zeremon,

 

Yeah, I didn't think the delegate access would work anyway.  Apparently, you would only need to change it if the NAS did not allow 'root' access from the target system.  Which does not seem to be the case with the Buffalo.  

 

However, if you did want to change it later on (to test, or whatever) I would recommend editing the 'vimuser' in the /etc/passwd file and making the changes there.  I just find it to be a lot faster than having to do it through the GUI.  Also, I think the Buffalo 'admin' account attributes are: UID=1000 GID=100, and 'root' attributes are UID=0 GID=0.  I haven't really been able to get console access to the Buffalo so I'm not sure if those are absolutely 100% correct (those are what I used, and again, it did nothing for me).    

 

Anyway, good luck, and if I discover something, I'll be sure to post it here.  Hoping you'll do the same.  

[Colin137]

I just confirmed that firmware 1.10 fixes the NFS issue with ESX. I tested it with ESX 4, and was able to view the contents of the NFS mount from the datastore browser. If the update does not fix it for you, reset the device to defaults with the web interface. System->Restore/Format, then click the Restore Terastation button.

[ihaveanevilplan]

   

Colin,

 

Is there an ETA for the release of 1.10 for the rackmount versions of the TSIII? I would like to give it a try as soon as it becomes available.

 

Thanks

[Colin137]

Huh. I suppose that got overlooked. I'll have that posted ASAP.

[ihaveanevilplan]

   

I appreciate the help.

 

I checked again this morning and the new firmware is still not listed on the website.  I will check again in a few hours and I am sure it will be there then.

 

Regards

[ihaveanevilplan]

   

Colin,

 

Firmware 1.10 is still not available to rackmount model users.  Do you have a sense on when it will be posted?

 

Regards

[Colin137]

Hopefully today, but I'd say Monday afternoon at the latest.

[Colin137]

Firmware 1.10 has been posted for the Terastation III Rackmount. Sorry about the wait.