XenServer installation SR issue

BRRABill

XS installs are usually pretty pain-free.

Dashrender

I ask this for understanding sake.

When you install XS on a hardware RAID Array, how does XS see the remaining disk? Does it see it as a completely different disk from the one XS is installed on? or does it realize it's just empty space and create an additional partition to whatever size you dictate?

BRRABill

@Dashrender said in XenServer installation SR issue:

I ask this for understanding sake.

When you install XS on a hardware RAID Array, how does XS see the remaining disk? Does it see it as a completely different disk from the one XS is installed on? or does it realize it's just empty space and create an additional partition to whatever size you dictate?

Since it is a DELL H700 (I have the H710) it's just all one big array. No slicing it up from the hardware level.

Would have made things so much easier.

momurda

On my xs 6.5 install (which originally was 6.0 I think way before I started here) xs is installed on sda which is the local disk array. The partitions for xs are sda1 and sda2 while sda3 is the local sr. I didn't originally set this up but I would think that you just give XS a whole array, then let it take what it wants for itself, it then gives you the rest to use as local SR.

AdamF

@momurda said in XenServer installation SR issue:

what is the output of vgs, lvs, pvs from the console?
Seems like either your lvm layer is bad, or the actual raid array is bad.
Have you tried to unmount this and then runs fsck?

Really weird that the local sr wasn't auto created for after install. It is like the first thing that happens when you connect to XS with XC.
Since it is not working you could just reinstall and try again, there shouldn't be an thing on it at this point.

[root@xenserver ~]# vgs
  VG                                              #PV #LV #SN Attr   VSize VFree
  XSLocalEXT-0bff8e3b-dd7c-c3c4-3125-22569f5bbd77   1   1   0 wz--n- 5.42t    0

[root@xenserver ~]# lvs
  LV                                   VG                                              Attr       LSize Pool Origin Data%  Meta%  Move Log Cpy%Sync Convert
  0bff8e3b-dd7c-c3c4-3125-22569f5bbd77 XSLocalEXT-0bff8e3b-dd7c-c3c4-3125-22569f5bbd77 -wi-a----- 5.42t

[root@xenserver ~]# pvs
  PV         VG                                              Fmt  Attr PSize PFree
  /dev/sda3  XSLocalEXT-0bff8e3b-dd7c-c3c4-3125-22569f5bbd77 lvm2 a--  5.42t    0

And yes, I've reinstalled twice. The second time, I completely destroyed the RAID array, and created a new one. Then ran a Fast Init on it and install XS. That's all I've done to get to the point of error.

momurda

I think you may need to use a different uuid in your xe pbd-plug command
Here is a reference article
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX121896

This one in your case(I think):
xe pbd-plug uuid=0bff8e3b-dd7c-c3c4-3125-22569f5bbd77

momurda

Ah wait. I see the type in the Local SR is ext3
On my XSs they are LVM
Did you format the lv?

AdamF

@momurda No, I didn't format the lv. Is that something done during the installation?

momurda

From the 7.0 Admin guide
5.2.2. Local EXT3
Using EXT3 enables Thin Provisioning on local storage. However, the default Storage Repository type is LVM as it gives a consistent write performance and, prevents storage over-commit. Customers using EXT3 may see reduced performance when carrying out VM lifecycle operations such as VM Create, suspend/resume and when initially creating large files from within the VM.
Local disk EXT SRs must be configured using the XenServer CLI.
5.2.2.1. Creating a Local EXT3 SR (ext)

Device-config parameters for ext SRs:
Parameter Name Description Required? Device device name on the local host to use for the SR
To create a local ext SR on /dev/sdb use the following command:

xe sr-create host-uuid=<valid_uuid> content-type=user \ name-label=<"Example Local EXT3 SR"> shared=false \ device-config:device=/dev/sdb type=ext

Danp

@fuznutz04 Any update?

AdamF

@Danp

Was just about to post this. I tried to do a fsck on the drive. See below screenshot.

DustinB3403

@fuznutz04 Have you rebuilt the array on this device?

AdamF

@DustinB3403 Meaning rebuild the RAID array itself? Yes, twice now. Destroyed the array, recreated a RAID 10 array, initialized the array, and then installed XS. During the install, it asks where to store the VMs (the wording might be off here) and I am able to select the array itself. So XS is seeing the array, but not actually making it available as a SR.

DustinB3403

Hrm..

I wonder if there is a compatibility issue with your hardware then...

AdamF

@DustinB3403 said in XenServer installation SR issue:

Hrm..

I wonder if there is a compatibility issue with your hardware then...

Meaning the actual physical disks, or the RAID controller? I checked, and the RAID controller is on the HCL for XS 7. The disks are a mix of drives that I had around my house. WD Reds and a WD green or two.

scottalanmiller

The RAID array should appear as a single drive and nothing that XS does should make a rebuild of the array needed. If that is happening, there is a deeper problem.

DustinB3403

@fuznutz04 said in XenServer installation SR issue:

@DustinB3403 said in XenServer installation SR issue:

Hrm..

I wonder if there is a compatibility issue with your hardware then...

Meaning the actual physical disks, or the RAID controller? I checked, and the RAID controller is on the HCL for XS 7. The disks are a mix of drives that I had around my house. WD Reds and a WD green or two.

The drives shouldn't matter (I'd be really really surprised if it did).

I just checked you hardware as well and it is supported. I actually just installed XS7 on a desktop yesterday for a tiny project.

So I'm guessing it's a hardware problem of some sort.

Have you given XS6.5 a go on this system and see what happens?

AdamF

@scottalanmiller said in XenServer installation SR issue:

The RAID array should appear as a single drive and nothing that XS does should make a rebuild of the array needed. If that is happening, there is a deeper problem.

It does. It shows as a single 6 TB "drive"

AdamF

@DustinB3403 said in XenServer installation SR issue:

@fuznutz04 said in XenServer installation SR issue:

@DustinB3403 said in XenServer installation SR issue:

Hrm..

I wonder if there is a compatibility issue with your hardware then...

Meaning the actual physical disks, or the RAID controller? I checked, and the RAID controller is on the HCL for XS 7. The disks are a mix of drives that I had around my house. WD Reds and a WD green or two.

The drives shouldn't matter (I'd be really really surprised if it did).

I just checked you hardware as well and it is supported. I actually just installed XS7 on a desktop yesterday for a tiny project.

So I'm guessing it's a hardware problem of some sort.

Have you given XS6.5 a go on this system and see what happens?

No, I haven't tried 6.5 yet, only 7.

scottalanmiller

@fuznutz04 said in XenServer installation SR issue:

@scottalanmiller said in XenServer installation SR issue:

The RAID array should appear as a single drive and nothing that XS does should make a rebuild of the array needed. If that is happening, there is a deeper problem.

It does. It shows as a single 6 TB "drive"

Should not need to rebuild, then. If the underlying array is corrupting, then the issue is at the controller or disk level.