VSAN Free for laptop test environment

Software-based VM-centric and flash-friendly VM storage + free version

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miguel_gonz
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:06 am

Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:30 am

Hi,

I am testing on my laptop to create a small Windows domain 2012R2 lab. Since I am running Windows 10 and I was trying to create two nested Hyper-V 2016 Server core VMs that will act as Hyper-V hosts of a 2-node cluster.

I was advised that VSAN free could be my choice to simulate iSCSI targets for creating a CSV for my two hyper-V nodes. I don´t really need something fancy since I don´t know yet how many tests I will perform with the cluster (right now I am just using this for screenshots for a backup tool against hyper-v cluster VMs)

I reused the CreateHA2_nodes.ps1 script changing to my IP addresses. I haven´t set up a hearbeat network connection nor management connection since as I have said I don´t want anything fancy. Only one network.

In my first try I was able to see both nodes targets, but for some reason the cluster tool saw one of the two disks as read-only. I decided to recreate everything and although the web management console can´t create devices in the free version, I can see the devices and targets look fine. However the iscsicpl tool refuses to see the node-1 target (neither using 127.0.0.1 or the local IP address). I tested if it was a firewall issue but both nodes see 3260 port open (I run test-netconnection powershell command).

For that reason it seems the cluster windows tool only sees of the of the two disks and I can´t add the CSV shared storage.

How can I remove all the configurations everything and start over again? It´s a PITA not to have an eraseall powershell script or something similar.

Any advice or documentation? All examples assume you are not using the powershell free version.
yaroslav (staff)
Staff
Posts: 2279
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:11 am

Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:11 pm

Can I have the logs?
Use this tool please https://knowledgebase.starwindsoftware. ... collector/. Transfer them via Google Drive or DropBox, please.
Also note that single connection between the servers is not supported for 2-node configs as it violates system requirements https://www.starwindsoftware.com/system-requirements.
The other question is, did you enable MPIO feature in StarWind VMs?
miguel_gonz
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:06 am

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:25 pm

Yes, I have enabled MPIO

How do I send you the Google drive links?
yaroslav (staff)
Staff
Posts: 2279
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:11 am

Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:36 pm

Just post them here if that's possible.
Only one network.
Please note that a configuration like that might cause split-brain issues.

Try the solution mentioned here https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/ ... k-question and http://techadminblog.com/recover-cluste ... only-mode/.

So, you have created a HA device with the Create_HA script, but there are no targets in the iSCSI Initiator? Was the HA device created? May I have the script you used too? Here is the sample script https://www.starwindsoftware.com/help/H ... ategy.html.
miguel_gonz
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:06 am

Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:16 pm

miguel_gonz
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:06 am

Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:16 pm

The script is the same as the one provided with the two IP addresses, same naming
miguel_gonz
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:06 am

Fri Jul 03, 2020 11:32 am

Did you have the change to download the collector logs?
yaroslav (staff)
Staff
Posts: 2279
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:11 am

Fri Jul 03, 2020 11:55 am

Hi there, I was planning to investigate them today. Please, feel free to remove the logs. I have downloaded them.
yaroslav (staff)
Staff
Posts: 2279
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:11 am

Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:58 am

Hi there,

Sorry for such a delayed response.

Here is what is see in StarWind Service logs on CLUSTER1.
6/30 21:20:05.098082 53c conf: read command: acl -cmd:insert "Ban initiator" -source:"iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" -destination:"iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" -interface:"" -action:"deny"
6/30 21:20:05.098130 53c conf: read command: acl -cmd:insert "Ban initiator" -source:"iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" -destination:"iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" -interface:"" -action:"deny"

Entries from the cfg file

<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:cluster2.testdominio.com" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-targetha21" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:cluster1.testdominio.com" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-targetha21" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-targetha22" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-targetha21" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-targetha22" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-targetha21" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" interface="" action="deny"/>
<aclrecord name="Ban initiator" source="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:192.168.3.4-vmwitness02" destination="iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:cluster1.testdominio.com-vmwitness01" interface="" action="deny"/>

Could you please set everything to ALLOW in Access rights?
miguel_gonz
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:06 am

Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:26 pm

How do I allow it using powershell? I just have the vsan free version.

By the way, I don´t understand why it´s showing up the witness disk. I deleted it manually. Is there any way to remove all disks configured and start over again?
yaroslav (staff)
Staff
Posts: 2279
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:11 am

Mon Jul 06, 2020 7:00 pm

What I would recommend doing is carrying out the installation from scratch. Uninstall StarWind VSAN, remove the Image files (if possible), and do the clear configuration as discussed here https://www.starwindsoftware.com/resour ... rver-2016/. How to use the script https://www.starwindsoftware.com/help/H ... ategy.html.

If you plan to use this setup for test purposes alone, you can request the trial or NFR license; both feature Management console GUI but expire in a while
Learn more about the NFR license at https://www.starwindsoftware.com/starwi ... ense-users.
The trial license works a full-blown commercial license but it expires in a month and can be replaced only with a commercial key. If you plan to use StarWind VSAN after your tests, that's not an option for you.
Learn more about licensing options https://knowledgebase.starwindsoftware. ... g-options/.

If you want to go with the free license further, you should reconfigure everything from scratch using the free license.

I do not understand how Access Rights got configured, that's not what we normally do during installation assistance and, what is more important, that's not what the script does by default.
miguel_gonz
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:06 am

Mon Jul 06, 2020 7:09 pm

I plan to keep the configuration for several months, that´s why I took the VSAN free path.

So Is it a permissions problem with the folder that keep the files?
yaroslav (staff)
Staff
Posts: 2279
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:11 am

Mon Jul 06, 2020 7:32 pm

This is related to denying certain connections to StarWind img files. These rules are enlisted in StarWind.cfg files and you can try removing them but I cannot vouch for stability of your setup in that case (stop the service, get rid of those permissions in both config files). Re-installing StarWind VSAN from scratch is the easiest (not the fastest though) fix to this situation. Please try re-configuring everything and share the logs with me once again.

Please try reconfiguring the setup from scratch. It is possible to reuse the IMG files provided that you can understand the scripts, but the easiest way is just removing everything and starting the configuration again.
miguel_gonz
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:06 am

Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:38 am

Ok, how do I remove starwind through powershell? I can´t get the Starwind software listed as a software.
yaroslav (staff)
Staff
Posts: 2279
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:11 am

Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:56 am

Greetings Miguel.
You should stop the service and remove StarWind VSAN as the normal application see this guide for more information https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Fo ... servercore. You can also remove the image files by deleting the folders where they are located. Here is how to delete the files from CLI https://www.windows-commandline.com/del ... mand-line/.

Please also note that single connection between VSAN instances is not supported as it violates StarWind VSAN system requirements (https://www.starwindsoftware.com/system-requirements). Once broken, it might cause split-brain which, in turn, may result in data loss or data corruption.
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