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After upgrading to vCenter Server 5.1, you see the error: Datastore '<datastore>' conflicts with an existing datastore in the datacenter that has the same URL (<URL>) but is backed by different physical storage (2036481)

Symptoms

  • After upgrading to VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x, you see this error: 

    Error:Datastore 'StorageX' conflicts with an existing datastore in the datacenter that has the same URL (ds:///vmfs/volumes/xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx/) but is backed by different physical storage.

  • The ESX/ESXi hosts that are affected show as disconnected in vCenter Server.
  • There is no mismatch on the ESX/ESXi hosts at the storage level (all naa.xxxxxxxxxx and vml.xxxxxxxxxx numbers match).
  • There is no datastore label mismatch.

    Note: To verify this, run the esxcfg-scsidevs -m command on each affected host.

Cause

This message is displayed if there is a mismatch in the database.

Resolution

To resolve this issue:
  1. Verify the cause of the issue, run:

    esxcfg-scsidevs -m

  2. Run this command to identify the naa from the LUN that has the issue:

    esxcfg-scsidevs -l | grep naa

  3. Compare the vml output from a good host and host that fails to connect. If you see a different vml number, it indicates a problem with the storage. If not continue to the next step.

  4. Remove all the disconnected ESXi hosts from vCenter Server.

  5. Add the ESXi hosts back to vCenter Server, one at a time.
  6. Reconfigure the VDS for each host or import each host in VDS, as required, with appropriate uplink(s) and other configuration. 
Note: If your problem still exists after trying the steps in this article, file a support request with VMware Support and note this Knowledge Base article ID (2036481) in the problem description. For more information, see How to Submit a Support Request.

Impact/Risks

When you remove and re-add the hosts, you lose all previous vCenter Server data that is associated with the removed hosts. Ensure to back up the data if you want to save this information.

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