iSCSI drive mapped as raw lun now not available to Windows Backup - Please Help
Hello Experts,
I am in dire need of some help. In setting up our VMWare environment a year ago, a consultant recommended implementing an Iomega NAS device for backups. Specifically, an iSCSI target was set up on the NAS device with a capacity of 250 GB, and it was added as storage on our three VMWare servers. Then in our Exchange 2010 server, it was added as a raw mapped lun, and dedicated to use by the Windows Server Backup program for backing up our Exchange data and log files. Recently the NAS device experienced an error on one of the drives. In spite of being set to use parity, it did not continue operating with the three remaining drives. It is now unavilable for use by the Windows backup program, and when I open the Windows Backup program on the server it essentially does not load due to not being able to find the backup destination. My question is, is it possible to somehow force the backup program to open so I can then cancel the scheduled backups? Ultimately, I would like to cancel the backups to this drive and remove it completely from the Exchange server. I realize that I currently cannot reboot the Exchange server, as it most likely will not boot up with the unavailable drive still mapped to the server. If I were to remove the drive from the server in its VMWare settings, would that allow the server to boot up, and then the backup program would simply "see" that the drive is gone and then open, or would that cause the server to not be able to boot up. In other words, if I cannot get the NAS device back online (I am waiting on Iomega's tier 3 support, although I was told they would call back in 24 - 48 hrs!!), how do I make the necessary changes to my Exchange server so that I can reboot it when needed and feel confident that it will boot back up? Any and all help is greatly appreciated!
Russ
I am in dire need of some help. In setting up our VMWare environment a year ago, a consultant recommended implementing an Iomega NAS device for backups. Specifically, an iSCSI target was set up on the NAS device with a capacity of 250 GB, and it was added as storage on our three VMWare servers. Then in our Exchange 2010 server, it was added as a raw mapped lun, and dedicated to use by the Windows Server Backup program for backing up our Exchange data and log files. Recently the NAS device experienced an error on one of the drives. In spite of being set to use parity, it did not continue operating with the three remaining drives. It is now unavilable for use by the Windows backup program, and when I open the Windows Backup program on the server it essentially does not load due to not being able to find the backup destination. My question is, is it possible to somehow force the backup program to open so I can then cancel the scheduled backups? Ultimately, I would like to cancel the backups to this drive and remove it completely from the Exchange server. I realize that I currently cannot reboot the Exchange server, as it most likely will not boot up with the unavailable drive still mapped to the server. If I were to remove the drive from the server in its VMWare settings, would that allow the server to boot up, and then the backup program would simply "see" that the drive is gone and then open, or would that cause the server to not be able to boot up. In other words, if I cannot get the NAS device back online (I am waiting on Iomega's tier 3 support, although I was told they would call back in 24 - 48 hrs!!), how do I make the necessary changes to my Exchange server so that I can reboot it when needed and feel confident that it will boot back up? Any and all help is greatly appreciated!
Russ
ASKER
Hi hanccocka, and thanks for your help!! I am not using the MS iSCSI initiator. When you say remove it from the VM settings, I am assuming you are talking about the VM settings in VMWare? If that is the case, then you are saying I can shut the server down, edit the VM settings and remove the iSCSI disk \ lun in question and then boot the server up and it will boot OK, in spite of the fact that the iSCSI disk \ lun is the currently configured target for the Windows Server Backup application on that server, correct?
Thanks again,
Russ
Thanks again,
Russ
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
No, the server does not rely on this lun to boot, it is only mapped to provide a drive for the Windows Backup program. This lun is not presented by the SAN, but by the NAS device, if I understand your comment correctly. Actually, I would like to be able to connec to the lun again if Iomega support can get the NAS up and running again, but at this point I have to place more importance on the ability to keep the Exchange server running if the NAS is no longer available. Again, I appreciate your help. Do you have any insight on how the backup program on the server would react when the server is rebooted and the drive that it had been using is no longer available?
Russ
Russ
and then Re-SCAN for disks in the Disk Mangement settings, this will remove the disk from the iSCSI virtual machine.
or remove it from the VIrtual Machine settings.