MAAS fails to deploy on a system with 4Kn (4096-byte native sector size) disk

[Rod Smith]

In testing a node with a 4Kn (4096-byte physical AND logical sector size) disk, MAAS fails to deploy the node. The "machine output" is as follows:

Creating new GPT entries.
Could not create partition 1 from 133120 to 15628051120
Could not change partition 1's type code to 8300!
Error encountered; not saving changes.
failed to sgdisk for uefi to /dev/sda
Unexpected error while running command.
Command: ['partition', '--format=uefi', '/dev/sda']
Exit code: 1
Reason: -
Stdout: ''
Stderr: ''
Installation failed with exception: Unexpected error while running command.
Command: ['curtin', 'block-meta', 'simple']
Exit code: 3
Reason: -
Stdout: "Creating new GPT entries.\nCould not create partition 1 from 133120 to 15628051120\nCould not change partition 1's type code to 8300!\nError encountered; not saving changes.\nfailed to sgdisk for uefi to /dev/sda\nUnexpected error while running command.\nCommand: ['partition', '--format=uefi', '/dev/sda']\nExit code: 1\nReason: -\nStdout: ''\nStderr: ''\n"
Stderr: ''

The disk in question is an ~8TB HGST 0F23666, which is ~1,953,125,000 sectors; however, the preceding output shows that MAAS is attempting to create a partition that ends at sector 15,628,051,120 -- eight times the size of the disk. In other words, it appears that MAAS includes an assumption of 512-byte sectors somewhere in its code.

We can provide access to the disk in the Certification lab in Lexington.

$ dpkg -l '*maas*'|cat
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Architecture Description
+++-=====================================================-===================================================-============-===============================================================================
ii maas 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server all-in-one metapackage
ii maas-cert-server 0.2.13-0~48~ubuntu14.04.1 all Ubuntu certification support files for MAAS server
ii maas-cli 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS command line API tool
ii maas-cluster-controller 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server cluster controller
ii maas-common 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server common files
ii maas-dhcp 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS DHCP server
ii maas-dns 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS DNS server
ii maas-proxy 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS Caching Proxy
ii maas-region-controller 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server complete region controller
ii maas-region-controller-min 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS Server minimum region controller
ii python-django-maas 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server Django web framework
ii python-maas-client 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS python API client
ii python-maas-provisioningserver 1.9.0+bzr4533-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server provisioning libraries

[Andres Rodriguez (andreserl)]

Hi rod, please get the curting config using MAAS's CLI and attach it to the bug!

Thanks

[Andres Rodriguez (andreserl)]

Also, 1.9.1 has already been released and I see you are using 1.9.0. I don't think this would make a difference but 1.9.1 should be used instead.

[Andres Rodriguez (andreserl)]

Also, i'd be ideal to make sure this also affects 2.0

[Rod Smith (rodsmith)]

Andres, I'm updating to MAAS 1.9.1 now and will try another deployment. What sort of curtin config do you want? (What command(s) should I issue?)

[Rod Smith (rodsmith)]

I've updated to MAAS 1.9.1 and tried again with the same results. Also, I tried both a standard Ubuntu 14.04 deployment and via the "Custom" option and a certification point-release image, with the same results. Here's the new version information:

$ dpkg -l '*maas*'|cat
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Architecture Description
+++-=====================================================-===================================================-============-===============================================================================
ii maas 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server all-in-one metapackage
ii maas-cert-server 0.2.13-0~48~ubuntu14.04.1 all Ubuntu certification support files for MAAS server
ii maas-cli 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS command line API tool
ii maas-cluster-controller 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server cluster controller
ii maas-common 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server common files
ii maas-dhcp 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS DHCP server
ii maas-dns 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS DNS server
ii maas-proxy 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS Caching Proxy
ii maas-region-controller 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server complete region controller
ii maas-region-controller-min 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS Server minimum region controller
ii python-django-maas 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server Django web framework
ii python-maas-client 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS python API client
ii python-maas-provisioningserver 1.9.1+bzr4543-0ubuntu1~trusty1 all MAAS server provisioning libraries

[Blake Rouse (blake-rouse)]

Please provide the output of "maas SESSION block-devices read NODE_ID".

MAAS does get the block size from the disk when it commissions. Its either MAAS is getting the wrong value or MAAS is not using the gathered value correctly.

[Rod Smith (rodsmith)]

Blake, are you sure that's the right command? I get an error:

$ maas admin block-devices read 42fdd3da-f1dd-11e5-ab31-888888888788
usage: /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/maascli/__main__.py admin
       [-h] COMMAND ...

Issue commands to the MAAS region controller at http://10.20.30.1/MAAS/api/1.0/.
...

...and then lots more "help."

[Rod Smith (rodsmith)]

Will this do instead?

maas admin node details node-42fdd3da-f1dd-11e5-ab31-888888888788

[Blake Rouse (blake-rouse)]

No details is not the same data as the block-devices read.

"block-devices read" is the correct command just tested it on my system. Try "maas refresh" to make sure your cli has the latest information.

[Rod Smith (rodsmith)]

OK, that did it. Here you go....

$ maas admin block-devices read node-42fdd3da-f1dd-11e5-ab31-888888888788

[Blake Rouse (blake-rouse)]

Its showing:

"block_size": 4096

Correct for the disk?

[Rod Smith (rodsmith)]

Yes, both the physical and logical block size is 4096 bytes.