jmwp13
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Data missing from within a .vhd
Our windows 2008 storage server rebooted due to an ntfs error. When it re-started it went into chkdsk. This server has TONS of files so it ran for over an hour. One of its messages was: Inserting an index entry into index $0 of file 25" After it finished the server seemed fine and I was able to access all the files I tested. However this server acted as an iscsi datastore for a vmware esx 4.0 server. I had a 146 gb datastore that contained a vm guest. When the server restarted the all of the datastores on that server were empty! So my guests were gone! I spoke to vmware an all they could come up with was "there was an error on you storage device and we don't know why the files are gone. Another odd piece is that esx reports the datastore as being a total size of 146 gb and an available size of 94 gb. the size difference is the size of the missing files.
Does ESX still detect the iSCSI target as a VMFS datastore or an empty volume with 94GB free? What software are you using to present the iSCSI storage to the ESX host?
Hi
I had a similar problem a few months ago, all the data was lost because of the chkdsk repair.
Dont now if is the same problem, but never fix a a disk(and large) with chkdsk without a full backup. This will disrupt all the data, the index etc.
Jail
I had a similar problem a few months ago, all the data was lost because of the chkdsk repair.
Dont now if is the same problem, but never fix a a disk(and large) with chkdsk without a full backup. This will disrupt all the data, the index etc.
Jail
ASKER
I am using Microsoft iscsi software target. Esx sees the datastore as vmfs, but does not display any files despite it showing 60 + gb's being used.
Dear Friend you can use a product call gizmo. You can mount the VHD as logical drive and recover your data. When you use storage make sure that only one windows server access the lun else the problem will re occur
ASKER
I would be willing to try gizmo, but I am able to access vhd with the esx server I am even able to create new folder in the store. I fear taht the chkdsk messed up mft or some other kind of indexing microsoft does
ok lets try to boot the the server with acronis disk director you will be able to view the files
ASKER
I am not sure Acronis will work. I can see the .vhd file on the server. The problem is vmware does not see any data in the vmfs store, but reports space is being used.
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Hi bgoering
Yes we can recover a VMFS partition, but like i said in my last message, this was on a Windows System, so i don't think he can recover
But of course, he can do all he can to recover, and test all the solutions. But unfortunately i don't think so
PS: bgoering, I have write that P2V article already, take a look if you have the time. Sorry the spam on the question.
Jail
Yes we can recover a VMFS partition, but like i said in my last message, this was on a Windows System, so i don't think he can recover
But of course, he can do all he can to recover, and test all the solutions. But unfortunately i don't think so
PS: bgoering, I have write that P2V article already, take a look if you have the time. Sorry the spam on the question.
Jail
Hi BestWay
I will take a look at your article and I appreciate it and will link to it in the future.
For this question I had read it as if the Windows system was a storage server that presents an iSCSI share to VMware, that in turn creates a partition and formats a VMFS datastore within that partition - so it might work if the partition table on the vhd was damaged by the chkdsk process.
I will take a look at your article and I appreciate it and will link to it in the future.
For this question I had read it as if the Windows system was a storage server that presents an iSCSI share to VMware, that in turn creates a partition and formats a VMFS datastore within that partition - so it might work if the partition table on the vhd was damaged by the chkdsk process.
ASKER
I am working with a vmware tech, I will pass this article on to him and see waht he thinks
Also, if you are getting NTFS errors, you need to replace the faulty hard drive or this will happen again, checkdisk is usually only a temporary solution.