Monitor Adaptec 3405 health on VMware ESXi 5.x

For my work i had to install a supermicro server with ESXi 5.1. This server had a adaptec 3405 raid card which works fine with ESXi 5.x but you can’t see the health status of the array(s) in the VSphere Client. After a lot of messing around with esxi drivers i did not get this to work. There is however a way to monitor the array status and this is done from a guest OS (in my case windows 8), or if you have one, another server.

To get this working you need to follow the following steps:

  • Download cim_vmware_v7_30_18837.zip from adaptec. If you can’t find it, let me know in the comments and i will mail it to you.
  • Extract vmware-esx-provider-arcconf.vib from the zip file. It is located in cim\esxi5_0\cim
  • Install the VIB using esxcli (google it if you don’t know how)
  • Reboot? Not sure if this is needed.
  • Now install remote arcconf also found in the ZIP file. Arcconf is available for linux and windows. I used the windows version.
  • Open an elevated command prompt and run the following commands:

arcconf SETVMCREDENTIAL 192.168.1.1 5989 esxiUser esxiPassword
arcconf getconfig 1

The first command sets the connection info to your ESXi host, 192.168.1.1 is the IP, 5989 is the default TCP port, esxiUser the user and esxiPassword the password. The account needs administrator permissions to make this work. I will try to find out if an read only account is possible.

The second command gets the config/status of the first adapter on the ESXI machine. You can easily write a script to fetch the status and email it using powershell for example. I am going to write such a script and will post it here when finished.

UPDATE: You can find the script here: https://www.tuser.nl/2013/04/19/adaptec-raidstatus-script-for-esxi/
UPDATE 2: Please read the post from Christoph below (thanks!). An additional piece of software is needed to make this work.

The output of the command should be something like this:

Controllers found: 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Controller information
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   Controller Status                        : Optimal
   Channel description                      : SAS/SATA
   Controller Model                         : Adaptec 3405
   Controller Serial Number                 : 8C421XXXXXX
   Physical Slot                            : 3
   Temperature                              : 47 C/ 116 F (Normal)
   Installed memory                         : 128 MB
   Copyback                                 : Disabled
   Background consistency check             : Disabled
   Automatic Failover                       : Enabled
   Global task priority                     : High
   Stayawake period                         : Disabled
   Spinup limit internal drives             : 0
   Spinup limit external drives             : 0
   Defunct disk drive count                 : 0
   Logical devices/Failed/Degraded          : 1/0/0
   NCQ status                               : Enabled
   --------------------------------------------------------
   Controller Version Information
   --------------------------------------------------------
   BIOS                                     : 5.2-0 (17342)
   Firmware                                 : 5.2-0 (17342)
   Driver                                   : 1.2-1 (29800)
   Boot Flash                               : 5.2-0 (17342)
   --------------------------------------------------------
   Controller Battery Information
   --------------------------------------------------------
   Status                                   : Charging
   Over temperature                         : No
   Capacity remaining                       : 98 percent
   Time remaining (at current draw)         : 5 days, 10 hours, 48 minutes

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Logical device information
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Logical device number 0
   Logical device name                      : R5
   RAID level                               : 5
   Status of logical device                 : Optimal
   Size                                     : 420290 MB
   Stripe-unit size                         : 256 KB
   Read-cache mode                          : Enabled
   Write-cache mode                         : Enabled (write-back)
   Write-cache setting                      : Enabled (write-back)
   Partitioned                              : No
   Protected by Hot-Spare                   : No
   Bootable                                 : Yes
   Failed stripes                           : No
   Power settings                           : Disabled
   --------------------------------------------------------
   Logical device segment information
   --------------------------------------------------------
   Segment 0                                : Present (Controller:1,Enclosure:0,Slot:0)         BJA0PAXXXXXX
   Segment 1                                : Present (Controller:1,Enclosure:0,Slot:1)         BJA0PAXXXXXX
   Segment 2                                : Present (Controller:1,Enclosure:0,Slot:2)         BJA0PAXXXXXX
   Segment 3                                : Present (Controller:1,Enclosure:0,Slot:3)         BJA0PAXXXXXX

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Physical Device information
----------------------------------------------------------------------
      Device #0
         Device is a Hard drive
         State                              : Online
         Supported                          : Yes
         Transfer Speed                     : SAS 3.0 Gb/s
         Reported Channel,Device(T:L)       : 0,0(0:0)
         Reported Location                  : Enclosure 0, Slot 0
         Reported ESD(T:L)                  : 2,0(0:0)
         Vendor                             : FUJITSU
         Model                              : MBA3147RC
         Firmware                           : 0103
         Serial number                      : BJA0PAXXXXXX
         World-wide name                    : 500000E115XXXXXX
         Size                               : 140272 MB
         Write Cache                        : Enabled (write-back)
         FRU                                : None
         S.M.A.R.T.                         : No
         S.M.A.R.T. warnings                : 0
         Power State                        : Unknown
         Supported Power States             : Full rpm
      Device #1
         Device is a Hard drive
         State                              : Online
         Supported                          : Yes
         Transfer Speed                     : SAS 3.0 Gb/s
         Reported Channel,Device(T:L)       : 0,1(1:0)
         Reported Location                  : Enclosure 0, Slot 1
         Reported ESD(T:L)                  : 2,0(0:0)
         Vendor                             : FUJITSU
         Model                              : MBA3147RC
         Firmware                           : 0103
         Serial number                      : BJA0PAXXXXXX
         World-wide name                    : 500000E115XXXXXX
         Size                               : 140272 MB
         Write Cache                        : Enabled (write-back)
         FRU                                : None
         S.M.A.R.T.                         : No
         S.M.A.R.T. warnings                : 0
         Power State                        : Unknown
         Supported Power States             : Full rpm
      Device #2
         Device is a Hard drive
         State                              : Online
         Supported                          : Yes
         Transfer Speed                     : SAS 3.0 Gb/s
         Reported Channel,Device(T:L)       : 0,2(2:0)
         Reported Location                  : Enclosure 0, Slot 2
         Reported ESD(T:L)                  : 2,0(0:0)
         Vendor                             : FUJITSU
         Model                              : MBA3147RC
         Firmware                           : 0103
         Serial number                      : BJA0PAXXXXXX
         World-wide name                    : 500000E115XXXXXX
         Size                               : 140272 MB
         Write Cache                        : Enabled (write-back)
         FRU                                : None
         S.M.A.R.T.                         : No
         S.M.A.R.T. warnings                : 0
         Power State                        : Unknown
         Supported Power States             : Full rpm
      Device #3
         Device is a Hard drive
         State                              : Online
         Supported                          : Yes
         Transfer Speed                     : SAS 3.0 Gb/s
         Reported Channel,Device(T:L)       : 0,3(3:0)
         Reported Location                  : Enclosure 0, Slot 3
         Reported ESD(T:L)                  : 2,0(0:0)
         Vendor                             : FUJITSU
         Model                              : MBA3147RC
         Firmware                           : 0103
         Serial number                      : BJA0PAXXXXXX
         World-wide name                    : 500000E115XXXXXX
         Size                               : 140272 MB
         Write Cache                        : Enabled (write-back)
         FRU                                : None
         S.M.A.R.T.                         : No
         S.M.A.R.T. warnings                : 0
         Power State                        : Unknown
         Supported Power States             : Full rpm
      Device #4
         Device is an Enclosure services device
         Reported Channel,Device(T:L)       : 2,0(0:0)
         Enclosure ID                       : 0
         Type                               : SES2
         Vendor                             : ADAPTEC
         Model                              : Virtual SGPIO
         Firmware                           : 0001
         Status of Enclosure services device
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10 Responses to Monitor Adaptec 3405 health on VMware ESXi 5.x

  1. David Chang says:

    Luke,

    I tried this option for remotely managing the ASR-3405 RAID controller (firmware 5.2-0 17342) under ESXi 5.1. I was able to install the CIM fine and I installed the Remote Arcconf program as well.

    However, when I run it, I get this output…

    Controllers found: 0
    Invalid controller number.

    The local PC log file reports …

    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 arcconf.exe getconfig 1
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 ENTER :: handleCommandInVMEnv()
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 FunctionResolver::getVMCIMOMDetails::Reading configuration file C:\Program Files (x86)\Adaptec\RemoteArcconf\VMCIMOMConfig.txt
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 ENTER :: executeCommand()
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 ENTER :: handleFileOperation()
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 Leaving :: handleFileOperation() as it is not a file operation command.
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 ENTER :: handleFileOperation()
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 EXIT :: handleFileOperation()
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 EXIT :: executeCommand()
    Wed May 08 18:08:00 2013 Status: invalid adapter, ReturnCode: 0x6

  2. Luke says:

    Hi David,

    Can you confirm you have both adaptec software components in ESXi as seen in the screenshot?

    http://www.tuser.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/esxi-adaptec-software.png

    I did install a some adaptec stuff before i tried this approach. Maybe i installed something arcconf depends on. I think you might be missing Adaptec_Inc scsi-aacraid 5.0.5.2.1.29800 component. Did you also try arcconf.exe getconfig 0 or 2 or 3?

  3. Christoph says:

    Hi Luke,

    I’m stuck at the same problem as David. Where did you take the screenshot? I can’t really find that view here on my vSphere Client.

  4. Christoph says:

    Thanks! I don’t have this item under the configuration tab, but I have an extra tab for Hardware Status. The software components are listed there as well.

    Solution to the problem is installing the aacraid driver from the vmware homepage, found under ESXi downloads->Driver&Tools->Driver CDs.
    Seems like arcconf depends on it.

    (you might want to edit/delete the screenshot as the address of your ESXi visible)

    • Neil says:

      The question is why this driver scsi-aacraid 5.0.5.2.1.29800 specifically? This driver doesn’t even support the Asr-3405. Are you guys installing it in the ESXI but no replacing the original that comes imbedded in ESXi?

  5. Neil says:

    I’ve Managed to try this by slip streaming the CIM and the Driver using the EsXi-Customizer 2.7.1 It essentially recreates the Installable ISO. But the problem is the Aacraid driver replaces the original in the install. and now when the ESX fires up it didn’t recognize the adaptec 3405 card. i tried this on a 5.1 U1 install not sure if that was the same version you guys have this working on. If if use only the esxcli to install the VIB driver, will it overwrite the original? can you confirm this works on 5.1u1?

  6. Neil says:

    Update,

    I managed to monitor my ESXi 5.1U1 with Asr-3405 Adaptec card. As mentioned in the previous post, in the beginning of the article you will need two Files.
    #1 Cim package from Adaptec, i used newer released CIM_vmware_v7_31_18856.zip.
    #2 aacraid-1.2.1.30300-1317067.zip found on Vmware. the file contains the Raid driver 510.5.2.1.30300-1.1.5.802208.x86_64.vib

    There is two ways to install theses files, first is mentioned in the beginning of the article using ESXCLI ( Google it) but if your doing a new install of ESXi i would simply slipstream them into the ISO using ESXi-Customiazer-v2.7.1. Very simple script tool that will customizes and repackages your installable ESXi ISO. The only thing i had to do after the install, was manually re-add my Datastore, it never showed up after the install of esxi,

    The datastore virtually disappears after driver update. However, fix is easy: Add storage, disk/LUN, VMFS already exist –keep existing signature, assign new signature, format disk? Answer Keep existing signature and you have your datastore back.

    Notes:
    The remote windows install from the Newer Cim package had problems running on win 8 so i used the installer form the older cim_vmware_v7_30_18837.zip

    i hope this helps other users.

  7. Ken Almond says:

    I have an adaptec 3405 with 4 x 3TB Seagates plugged into an Intel X79 Motherboard.

    I had to install both:
    Did this first: vmware-esx-provider-arcconf.vib – did not ask for a reboot
    and
    This second: vmware-esxi-drivers-scsi-aacraid-510.5.2.1.30300.-1.1.5.802205.x86_64.vib – from aacraid-1.2.1.30300-offline_bundle-1317067.zip – this DID require a reboot.

    After install / reboot
    – The Config Health Status Software list showed the 2 Adaptec entries discussed above – YEA.
    – However….
    I had a scare as the vms were not longer present in inventory because all the disks were no longer mounted! However, at on the Configuration tab (of host) in vSphere Client, Storage section – I as able to see the drives in “Add Storage” re-add them via (o) Disk/Lun option… it offered a ‘re-use existing info on disk’ option and after choosing this – wa-la, all the VMs re-appeared in Inventory.

    – arcconf.exe (on windows box) started showing info!!

    So thank you for this article/posts.

  8. http://www./ says:

    I love reading these articles because they’re short but informative.

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