Extend VMFS Datastore in VMware vShpere
When your VMFS Datastore in VMware ESX 3.x was running out of disk space, you had 2 options. One was to move all of the VM’s on that Datastore to a new VMFS Datastore with more space avaliable or increase the Lun on your storage and add a extend to the excisting Datastore. There are many blog writting if it’s wise to add a extend to a Datastore.
Now with vSphere it’s easy to increase the size of your VMFS Datastore if you have the space avaliable on your lun.
Here my setup. 2 vSphere servers with vCenter installed. I have one Lun on a NetApp. The lun is 15GB big with I created a 10GB VMFS datastore on it.
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Select the properties of the Datastore and click on Increase.
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Notice that on the same Lun the Datastore excits Expandable is marked as: Yes
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You will see the free space avaliable. In my case 5GB.
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Select the size you want to add to the Datastore.
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A summary it displayed. If you agree select Finish.
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When the action is finished you will see that the Capacity is increased. In my case 15GB.
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To prove there is no second partition. Here a screenshot from the Service Console with fdisk (fdisk -l).
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As you can see, now it’s pretty easy to extend a excisting VMFS Datastore.
Michael Wilmsen is a experienced VMware Architect with more than 20 years in the IT industry. Main focus is VMware vSphere, Horizon View and Hyper Converged with a deep interest into performance and architecture.
Michael is VCDX 210 certified, has been rewarded with the vExpert title from 2011, Nutanix Tech Champion and a Nutanix Platform Professional.
Uncategorized | Michael August 31, 2009
By Stanley, December 8, 2010 @ 19:59
I am having a problem in getting the datastore to see the storage in the NETAPP Fibre Channel Disk that I just ecxpaned from 300GB to 450GB.
When i try to expand my datastore on the Volume-Properties screen it shows the datastore with 300gb and the
Extent sub-box shows Extent=NETAPP Fibre Channel Disk (…, Capacity= 300gb:
the Device sub-box shows Primary Partition, Device = NETAPP Fibre Channel Disk (… 1, Capacity= 450GB,
Primary Parations: 1. VMFS, Capacity= 30GB
When i click on the Increase… button the Increase Datastore Capacity screen does not show any LUN. Therefore I cannot continue to get the 450 GB NETAPP Fibre Channel Disk added to the availablilty to the 300GB Datastore.
By Stanley, December 8, 2010 @ 19:59
I am having a problem in getting the datastore to see the storage in the NETAPP Fibre Channel Disk that I just ecxpaned from 300GB to 450GB.
When i try to expand my datastore on the Volume-Properties screen it shows the datastore with 300gb and the
Extent sub-box shows Extent=NETAPP Fibre Channel Disk (…, Capacity= 300gb:
the Device sub-box shows Primary Partition, Device = NETAPP Fibre Channel Disk (… 1, Capacity= 450GB,
Primary Parations: 1. VMFS, Capacity= 30GB
When i click on the Increase… button the Increase Datastore Capacity screen does not show any LUN. Therefore I cannot continue to get the 450 GB NETAPP Fibre Channel Disk added to the availablilty to the 300GB Datastore.
By Stanley, December 8, 2010 @ 20:35
Found the cause of my problem. I was signing in to the vShpere client as Localhost. I should have been signing in to the host machine name or IP address.
By Mike, December 9, 2010 @ 18:11
Glad you found the solution and shared this with us.
By Stanley, December 8, 2010 @ 20:35
Found the cause of my problem. I was signing in to the vShpere client as Localhost. I should have been signing in to the host machine name or IP address.
By Mike, December 9, 2010 @ 18:11
Glad you found the solution and shared this with us.
By Martin, January 20, 2011 @ 16:54
Hi Stanley & Mike
Same problem, Same soulution ;o)
Work’s also with vCenter 4.1 & ESX 4.1
Cheers.
By Martin, January 20, 2011 @ 16:54
Hi Stanley & Mike
Same problem, Same soulution ;o)
Work’s also with vCenter 4.1 & ESX 4.1
Cheers.
By Mike, January 21, 2011 @ 15:14
Martin,
Have done a rescann all? And how big is your lun and with what block size?
By Mike, January 21, 2011 @ 15:14
Martin,
Have done a rescann all? And how big is your lun and with what block size?
By Pete, February 19, 2011 @ 21:08
Same Problem, but not sure of solution. I have logged in as the default root, using vsphere directly to the ip of the ESXi server. When I go to increase I do not see the LUN, as above the properties show the added disk space. I am still using evaualtion mode. Would this stop me from perfoming this function? otherwise am I logging in with the proper crendentials? I am a vmware newbie….
By Pete, February 19, 2011 @ 21:08
Same Problem, but not sure of solution. I have logged in as the default root, using vsphere directly to the ip of the ESXi server. When I go to increase I do not see the LUN, as above the properties show the added disk space. I am still using evaualtion mode. Would this stop me from perfoming this function? otherwise am I logging in with the proper crendentials? I am a vmware newbie….
By Mike, February 21, 2011 @ 10:49
@Pete: do the luns show up in the storage adapter section under configuration?
By Mike, February 21, 2011 @ 10:49
@Pete: do the luns show up in the storage adapter section under configuration?