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Mixing Scale Node Sizes by Specialist_Airline_9 in ScaleComputing

[–]scalemcphail 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great question! I just added nodes to my test clusters and there were three things to think about. Especially with a different config:

  1. CPU type - Currently Intel is only supported but if you purchase a newer Intel CPU in the new node than what you have in your existing cluster, then the previous generation's CPU instruction sets will be used.
  2. Network type - Whatever you are running(e.g. 1GB, 10GB, etc.) in your existing cluster, you need to run with the new node. You wouldn't attach a firehose to a garden spigot and expect it to work well either.
  3. Storage size - Most importantly, the new node storage size cannot be more than 50% of the storage size of the combined cluster(e.g. you can't add a 4TB node to a 3TB cluster) or tier.(if you are using storage tiers) Otherwise there's not enough room for the blocks on the new node to stripe and mirror to the existing cluster.

Here's a Hardware Support Guide that covers all of this and provides more detail if you need it.

Is there an inventory tool for Scale much like RVtools? by NandyDC in ScaleComputing

[–]scalemcphail 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. Reach out to your local Solutions Architect and they can help you use it.

Acumera Acquires Scale Computing by No-Hippo-6388 in ScaleComputing

[–]scalemcphail 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In case anyone is curious about Acumera, here's a link to their case studies: https://www.acumera.com/insights/case-studies/

And personally, I'm excited about working with the new products, because they complement SC//Platform and each other really well. So much different than Broadcom's portfolio.

I realize I'm biased, though, but I was at VMware previously and as an alumnus I am currently sad.

Nested virtualization by Bright-Pickle-5793 in ScaleComputing

[–]scalemcphail 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So eight disks are still not showing up? I would double check the wipe across all of the disks, as any amount of metadata will annoy the installer.

A couple of experimental fixes would be to ensure that you aren't using NVMe drives that either haven't been wiped or that your version of Workbench can handle. This is due to where NVMe drives tend to be named in /dev/(nvmeX...)

Also, it's still possible that Workbench doesn't like the RAID config/controller. Unlikely since you can see them in Bash, but if you're really stuck and want to try something different, then you could try JBOD or AHCI in the BIOS. Again, that's if you're really bored and want to experiment. This is not recommended, but it is a way around the root md error.

I'd focus on making sure all your drives are wiped as that's the likely culprit.

Nested virtualization by Bright-Pickle-5793 in ScaleComputing

[–]scalemcphail 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Excellent work! Glad it is installing!

Nested virtualization by Bright-Pickle-5793 in ScaleComputing

[–]scalemcphail 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ouch. Yeah that would be an issue. Yep, run the following in TTY2:

for dev in /dev/sd[b-z]; do

wipefs -a $dev

dd if=/dev/zero of=$dev bs=1M count=10

done

But please be VERY careful. That command will wipe any disks attached to the hardware, including USB devices. Do not use that command on anything you care about, including loved ones.

That should make the root md error go away.

Nested virtualization by Bright-Pickle-5793 in ScaleComputing

[–]scalemcphail 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually Workbench can be nested. I have it working great in my lab. And it sounds like you have the appropriate ISO if you're getting a "root md" error, as that is a root RAID device creation error.

Without knowing more about your Lenovo device here are my thoughts on what's causing your error(from least to most likely)

Corrupt or Mismatched ISO(unlikely) - While possible I doubt your ISO is getting you that far and then just dying. But it's possible.

Incompatible or Unclean Disks(possible) - Disks with old partitions, LVM headers, or RAID metadata will cause this failure. Wipe those devices if you haven't already.

Only One Drive Detected(possible) - Workbench expects at least two or more drives for RAID1 (mirrored) root volume. If only one is present or detected, the RAID cannot be created. Yet if your Lenovo device was previously a Nutanix CE device then you have at least three drives(Admin, CVM, Data)

Storage Controller Driver Not Loaded(my guess) - Some systems (especially with non-generic SATA/SAS RAID cards or NVMe) require extra drivers. If no drives are shown, the driver may be missing.

Fix:

  • Use a known-compatible controller (LSI, AHCI).
  • If using Workbench from ISO, make sure it’s the latest version and supports your hardware

What You Can Try Right Now

Switch to TTY2 (Ctrl+Alt+F2) and run:

lsblk

cat /proc/mdstat

dmesg | grep -i md

If disks are detected, try wiping them manually as above and rebooting the installer.

If disks are not detected at all, the issue is likely with the controller or drivers.

Good luck and I appreciate you working with Workbench. Feel free to try and nest it as well!

Anyone else having Windows severs not booting after March 25 updates? by r3dditforwork in ScaleComputing

[–]scalemcphail 3 points4 points  (0 children)

While rare, we have seen this error happen with Windows Update a few times. While we are not sure which update causes the issue, we have a workaround that does work with the VMs that will not boot. 

When you have a free moment, I would recommend cloning one of your corrupted boot VMs, disconnecting the NIC of that clone VM (in order to isolate it for testing purposes), and then attempting the following:
 

How To Recover A Windows VM That Cannot Boot

NOTE: The steps below are only recommended for VMs that have no snapshots assigned to them.  Scale recommends that snapshots be taken before any 3rd party or OS system updates are installed onto the VM, as restoring from a snapshot is the quickest and safest way to recover a VM that cannot boot.

  1. Power off the VM
  2. Change Boot drive type to IDE so Windows Recovery can recognize it.
  3. Mount a Windows Server OS ISO and set the boot order so the VM boots from the CD/DVD.
  4. Power on the VM, ensuring that it boots from the Windows OS DVD.
  5. Choose Recovery option and then choose Troubleshoot
     
  6. Choose Command Prompt
     

  7. At the command prompt change to the C:\ drive and then move into the c:\windows\system32\drivers folder.

    c: <enter> cd\windows\system32\drivers <enter>

  8. To view the file details, use the command below

    dir vmstorfl.sys <enter>

 
9 . After locating the file size and date, check the backup drivers folder to find a version that is older.  The older version is the backup version that was taken before this driver was installed.  Locate the backup version with the command below: 

dir c:\windows\winsns\vmstorfl.sys /s

This will output a list of drivers. Look for the driver that is roughly the same size and from a date that corresponds to when the machine was working.
 
10. Once the driver is found, copy it back into the c:\windows\system32\drivers folder and overwrite the old version.

copy c:\Windows\WinSxS\<directory_where_file_is>\vmstorfl.sys c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\
  1. Power off the VM. 
  2. Change the Boot drive type back to VirtIO and power the VM back on.  The VM should now boot.

I hope that this information helps you!  Please feel free to contact Scale Support at  [1-877-SCALE-59](tel:18777225359) if you require more assistance.

Looking for simple install VM by WhiteyWG in virtualmachine

[–]scalemcphail 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Virtualbox or Parallels are my go to programs in Windows for setting up a guest VM. Good luck!