6.0.1

Table Of Contents
3 Verify your changes by entering the following command:
esxcli storage core device list -d device_ID
Virtual Machines with RDMs Need to Ignore SCSI INQUIRY Cache
Storage vendors might require that virtual machines with RDMs ignore SCSI INQUIRY data cached by
ESXi.
Problem
Certain guest operating systems or applications run in virtual machines with RDMs display unpredictable
behavior.
Cause
This behavior might be caused by cached SCSI INQUIRY data that interferes with specific guest operating
systems and applications.
When the ESXi host first connects to a target storage device on a SAN, it issues the SCSI INQUIRY
command to obtain basic identification data from the device. By default, ESXi caches the received SCSI
INQUIRY data (Standard, page 80, and page 83) and the data remains unchanged afterwards.
Solution
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Configure the virtual machine with RDM to ignore the SCSI INQUIRY cache by adding the following
parameter to the .vmx file.
scsix:y.ignoreDeviceInquiryCache = "true"
where x is the SCSI controller number and y is the SCSI target number of the RDM.
Enable this parameter only when your storage vendor recommends that you do so. This parameter is
required for just a limited number of storage arrays and only for specific guest operating systems.
Software iSCSI Adapter Is Enabled When Not Needed
When your host uses a network adapter with iBFT, the software iSCSI adapter is always enabled by default.
Problem
After your ESXi host's first boot, the software iSCSI adapter is enabled and appears in the
vSphere Web Client on the list of storage adapters.
Cause
The iBFT-enabled network adapter on your host causes the software iSCSI to be always present. This
condition occurs even when you do not use iBFT for the iSCSI boot.
Solution
If you do not use the iBFT-enabled network adapter for the iSCSI boot and do not want the software iSCSI
adapter to be enabled, remove the iBFT configuration from the network adapter. Because this process is
vendor-specific, consult your vendor documentation for details.
vSphere Troubleshooting
66 VMware, Inc.