Compatibility Concerns Between (BROCADE) SAN Switch and Nimble Array Storage

[A97]

Hello HPE Community,

I'm reaching out for insights into a challenge I'm facing with VM migrations in our environment. Here's the situation:

• SAN Switch Kernel Version: 2.6.34.6
• Nimble Storage OS Version: 6.1.1.300-1028597-opt
• Issue: During VM migrations, we're consistently hitting a failure where the process exceeds the maximum switchover time, and the VM fails to resume on the destination host. The error stack indicates that the VMDK file cannot be locked, preventing the disk from opening properly.

Given that the kernel version on our SAN switch is relatively outdated, I'm concerned about potential compatibility issues with the Nimble Storage OS. Specifically, I'm wondering if this mismatch could be leading to the storage-related failures we're seeing during the migration process.

Has anyone in the community encountered similar issues with this combination of SAN switch kernel and Nimble OS? If so, what steps did you take to resolve the problem? Would upgrading the SAN switch kernel be advisable, or are there specific configurations, patches, or best practices that could mitigate this issue?

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

[buzzsubash]

Hello,

Can you please let me know the SAN switch and Nimble array model to check this further? And what is the version of ESXi running on the hosts ? 

[A97]

Dear  buzzsubash ,

Thank you for your response. Please find the requested details below:

Storage: Nimble Flash Array Storage AF40 (Dual Controller)

SAN Switch: HPE StoreFabric SN3600B 32Gb 24/8 Fibre Channel Switch

ESXi Hosts:

13 Hosts in total:

• 8 Hosts clustered with ESXi v7.0
• 2 Hosts clustered with ESXi v8.0
• 3 Hosts managed by vCenter (v7.0)

please be informed the migration issue on first Esxi Cluster only.

Let me know if you need any further information.

best Regards.

[buzzsubash]

I was looking at the compatability matrix tool and could see below. As of 20-Aug-2024, for Nimble array running in FC setup, for hosts with VMware 7.0, below are the requirement of firmware version. 

That being said, I could see 3600B 24/8, with 8 and 24 as port count. 

 And on a high level, yes firmware compatability mismatch can cause issues. But in this case, the other two clusters are working fine.

Are you seeing any errors pointing to the volumes from Nimble? I would assume you are not performing a storage vMotion. In either case we may have to look at the array logs to see any FC related errors. Please create a support case by mentioning array serial number, will  take a look at it.

In case if you would like to update the firmware for the switch, the firmware package can be downloaded by navigating to https://support.hpe.com/ Enter your B-series switch model, in this case sn3600B and click on Drivers and Software tab.

[Cali]

All VMs on the same ESX, then reboot the ESX.

What if you power down the VM and migrate?

I don't think it's the SAN firmware, it might be something else.

Control the Logfiles during/after an unsuccessful Migration: 20 VMware Logs to Use for Troubleshooting (nakivo.com)

Cali

[support_s]

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