Vmware vSphere Client - add a RAW device

It will be grayed out if there are no free LUNs seen by the host that machine resides on.
Do you mean you need to share a RDM that has already been presented to another VM?

First of all thanks for the quick turnaround ... the configuration is Windows 8 and on top it's vmware vsphere client 5.0, have plenty of space in datasource, almost 176 gb is available there, if you can guide, how to add a free LUN and this needs to be shared too.

Please advice ... thanks.

Do you need to add a RAW LUN - eg. NTFS?

see this article which shows step by step instructions, on how to provision a RDM to your VM. First, you must ensure the LUN is provisioned and mapped to the Host ESXi server, do not use as VMFS storage, and then Add a Virtual Disk to the Host, and select RDM?

Do you have a SAN?, Shared Storage ?

http://www.vmadmin.co.uk/vmware/35-esxserver/58-rdmvm

thanks Hancock, here is the current status:

Windows 8 ~> Vmware vSphere Client 5.0 ~> Oracle Linux 5.4 ~> rac1 & rac2

Now need to create a shared storage, doc I'm following is on Virtual Box and it's very easy to create a raw device there, it seems easy over here too, but mine is grayed out, this is the problem (attached).

Can you guide/advice, how to remove this grayed out?

Attached 2 jpgs: current (as of now) & grayed (not letting to add)

Need your assistance here ... thanks a lot.
current.JPG
grayed.JPG

Hi Hancock & Abhilash Hb ... thanks for your assistance, but any chance of any more help? It seems that the scenario looks tough for you ... :(

Okay, lets back track, and go back to basics.

Do you have a SAN? (shared storage)

Is this presented to the ESXi server?

I don't think so, I've plenty of free space available, as said too, can do anything ... to remove this Grayed out, please advice/guide.

Thanks a lot

If you do not have a SAN, you cannot add an RDM.

Unless, you look at my EE Article...

HOW TO: Add Local Storage (e.g. a SATA disk) as a Raw Disk Mapping (RDM) or Mapped RAW LUN to a virtual machine hosted on ESXi

However, this is not supported by VMware.

OK do this.
Go to your host>Configuration>Storage>Add Storage
Select Disk/LUN and click Next.
Do you see any RAW LUNs listed there?
Can you paste a screenshot?

Thanks Abhilash, now @work no access, will check from home and share here too, but if can provide some link or any thing, so I can try it over there too.

You probably will not see anything there. That's my guess.
Get home and give us the screenshot so we can see if there's something else we have to work on.

a RAW LUN is presented to the Host Server, from a SAN, either Fibre Channel or iSCSI SAN (Shared Area Network).

Do you have more than a single ESXi server?

Do you have vCenter Server ?

Do you just have storage installed in a single server? e.g. datastore (170GB)

If you do not, you will not be able to complete and create a RAW LUN. Unless you want to present a single disks as a RAW LUN, see my EE Article.

But can you install on a normal virtual disk? (vmdk).

yes I've datastore

You need shared storage to be able to create a RDM (RAW LUN).

Yes, a datastore, can be stored on local or shared storage.

Attached are the 2 snapshots
vmware.JPG
datastore.JPG

If you do not have an iSCSI or Fibre Channel SAN, you cannot add a RAW (RDM) LUNs, because you have NO shared storage LUNs to have.

Do you only have a single ESXi Host Server, with No vCenter Server?

The screenshot just looks like a connection to a single ESXi server.

I've one more, but similar like this, basically this is been done by someone else, if you asked, I can get his help too, attached is the screenshot for the other box.
101.JPG

@mkhankba,

Do you have a SAN or iSCSI?
We have seen your screenshots and Andrew also has been asking the same question. Please answer the question. If you are not sure, go back to your storage team and ask what kind of storage you use.

Abhilash, I think till now you should know that I'm very new to this VM stuff, basically fist time, doing this and just because of my Oracle RAC setup, this is the only reason, and also this is just a private kind of setup, one of our friend did this, and voluntarily too, means he is not here too, I've to ask him to get some questions, it'll be good, if you can tell me how to check, but I think, after exploring this is mentioned under the Storage Adapters, if this is correct, I've attached 2 images from 101 and 103 boxes, please do assist/advice/guide, how to go about, this is really taking too much time, as the actual task hasn't been even started yet.

And thanks a lot for both of your great help, assistance and guidance ... Thank You.

Please do direct me, if this is not the desired snapshots ... thanks again.
101-storage.JPG
103-storage.JPG

With your current setup you CANNOT create a RAW (RDM) LUN.

Why do you need a RAW (RDM) LUN?

Thanks Andrew, totally my fault, I should have told you gurus the need only, sorry for this all wastage of time and everything.

Alright so the need is: a shared storage; that's it, this is what needed, because for Oracle 11gR2 RAC db, need to have a shared storage, in order for 2 or more clusters/node to talk/store and do all sorts of stuff, just need a shared storage, in the past, used openfiler too, but totally forgot now, how configured it.

Here are 3 links, just to give an idea, what exactly is the need:
http://www.oracle-base.com/articles/11g/oracle-db-11gr2-installation-on-oracle-linux-5.php
http://dnccfg.blogspot.com/2012/09/koracle11gr2racsetup.html
http://www.oracledba.org/11gR2/Pre_Install_11gR2.htm

I'm pretty sure, now you gurus, must have some solution to my problem :(

Okay, I understand that you need, to using Clustering with Oracle, and hence your requirement for a native LUN (RDM).

You will need to either purchase shared storage or build some virtual shared storage.

Is this for Production or Lab in an Organization?

The disadvantage of cluster in a box, (VMDK Sharing) if this is for production, if your host server becomes unavailable, your Oracle RAC cluster will fail.

Normally with an RDM, your cluster nodes would be on two ESXi hosts, and hence there would be no single point of failure. Hence why Oracle are recommending a RDM for resilience in the cluster.

But depends if this is for Lab or Production in your organization.

You may get some mileage installing virtual SAN software.

e.g. Starwind iSCSI Software

see my videos, for EE members

Video Tutorial - Adding iSCSI storage to a VMware vSphere ESX/ESXi 4.x host server

Video Tutorial - Eazy Peezy Lemon Squeezy iSCSI Storage by StarWind iSCSI SAN Software

This gives a little more resilience, as you may be able to present an iSCSI LUN, e.g. RAW RDM to both Host Servers, for your Cluster, but your virtual SAN is a single point of failure.

Yes i agree its a single point of failure.
But its a supported configuration and better than buying a SAN.
But if the Asker wants to go with iSCSI i think it would be a better approach.

it's just testing/lab, nothing else, no one cares about any loss, as there is nothing, all testing purpose only.

If it's just for lab, any option will do.

which option Andrew and how to do it too? just give me the option to try, will do that and update here, does it work or not? just direct me to the link/site or any thing, so I can do the task, step by step, my concern is not these OS, I'm only looking for my RAC to be up & running, that's it, how ... this is not even my task, it's in the SA's domain, not DBA/s.

Please assist, it'll be great, if can mention something like, option 1, if not work, then option 2 and ... etc, let's see, which one is going to work/successful too.

Try this option http:#a39853313, you can do this quickly.

You can follow my link if its a lab.

thanks Gurus, will try and update too, but later in the day, obviously from home :)

thanks Abhilash Hb, have followed yours:

http://vpirate.in/2013/09/01/clustering-using-sharing-of-vmdks-between-virtual-machines/

it works really awesome, but now when doing the pre-check, it failed on 2nd node, you can check/assist here too:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28366118/Oracle-RAC-11gR2-Device-Checks-for-ASM-failed.html

I'm glad my link helped.

I think its something to do on the RAC installation which i'm not too familiar with. I'm sure there are some oracle experts who can come up with a solution for your issue.

If you were able to follow the steps and this particular question is answered i request you to assign points and close it.

Sure Abhilash Hb, will close and assign points too, but encounter an issue :(

Because I was so board, had given only 10gb to this /dev/sdb and now it's all exhausted, how I can add some more space to it, but without closing the vm/s, because had already installed Oracle Grid and now the Oracle DB installation was going on, when it ate up the whole space, I should have assign more space, as have gotten plenty, but my fault :(

Can you please assist/guide here, how to add more space/storage to it or what are my best choices/options.

Also would like to know, what kind of storage is this too?

Thanks again :)

@mkhandba This needs a new question.

Because I was so board, had given only 10gb to this /dev/sdb and now it's all exhausted, how I can add some more space to it, but without closing the vm/s, because had already installed Oracle Grid and now the Oracle DB installation was going on, when it ate up the whole space, I should have assign more space, as have gotten plenty, but my fault :(

Can you please assist/guide here, how to add more space/storage to it or what are my best choices/options.

Also would like to know, what kind of storage is this too?