Author: rlevchenko

HP P2000 G3 MSA Array Systems – Microsoft Windows 2012 Cluster Validation Test Returns Persistent Reservation Errors

Issue

While performing the cluster validation test on Microsoft Windows 2012, the test returns persistent validation warnings like the ones provided below:

msa

Failure. Persistent Reservation not present on Test Disk 0 from node Server.XXXXX.net after successful call to update reservation holder’s registration key 0xb.

Failure. Persistent Reservation not present on Test Disk 1 from node Server.XXXXX.net after successful call to update reservation holder’s registration key 0x10000000b.

Test Disk 0 does not support SCSI-3 Persistent Reservations commands needed to support clustered Storage Pools.
Some storage devices require specific firmware versions or settings to function properly with failover clusters.
Please contact your storage administrator or storage vendor to check the configuration of the storage to allow it to function properly with failover clusters.

Test Disk 1 does not support SCSI-3 Persistent Reservations commands needed to support clustered Storage Pools.
Some storage devices require specific firmware versions or settings to function properly with failover clusters.
Please contact your storage administrator or storage vendor to check the configuration of the storage to allow it to function properly with failover clusters.

Solution

Microsoft Windows 2012 and Microsoft Windows 8 introduce the feature called Storage Spaces (Windows Virtual Disks), the storage spaces feature does not support volumes presented using any kind of RAID controllers including the HP P2000 G3 MSA Array Systems.

As part of the Cluster validation process Microsoft Windows 2012 also runs a Storage Spaces test. As the Storage Spaces feature does not support the P2000 volumes the Cluster Validation test will include the warnings shown on the issue section of this article, however; the warnings do not cause the Cluster Validation test, as the warnings are only related to the Storage Spaces feature.

This is the normal behavior and it is not related to any issues on the HP P2000 G3 MSA Array Systems, it is just a warning to remind that the Storage Spaces feature does not support RAID based storage devices, and can be safely ignored.

Source

Use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Connection is greyed out #VMM2012SP1

VMM supports local and remote storage (block or file storage). If VMM supports your storage (see “Supported Storage Arrays for System Center 2012 VMM”) you can add one in 4 clicks. Notice some storage devices doesn’t have embedded SMI-S provider. In that case , you need to implement additional “interface” ,called as proxy, between VMM Server and storage device

Typical usage scenarios for storage features in VMM:

  • Assigning and adding storage to hosts or clusters
  • Cluster creation
  • Scale-Out File Server
  • Rapid Provisioning

TIP:Do not install the SMI-S provider on the VMM management server. This configuration is not supported.

Please see technet article to get more information: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg610600.aspx

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I have to add my storage (IBM  Storwize V3700) to VMM. This storage has embedded SMI-S provider , so we need to provide just IP address and account to access device. According with http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg610563.aspx we also need to select the @Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection check box to enable HTTPS for communicating with the SMI-S CIMXML provider. As you see, this option is greyed out for both protocols SMS-S WMI (it is normal) and SMI-S CIMXML.

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Resolution: uninstall KB2840632 and KB2833958

wusa /uninstall /kb:2833958 /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:2840632 /norestart

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Restart you server and open VMM console. Use SSL option is active now!

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Click Next , Import certificate

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Click Next

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Select your LUNs and create classification for them

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Verify that running jobs completed without any errors

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That’s all!

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