Configuring NFS on windows hosts

[vrinda]

Hi,

Due to non-availability of NAS filer, I need to create NFS volumes on a normal windows hosts and mount to an ESX server 3.5.

For this I have followed the steps outlined in the article.

http://vmblog.com/archive/2007/01/23/using-windows-based-nfs-in-vi3.aspx

But while mounting the NFS volume to an ESX server , I got a pop up error message "Error suring the configuration of the host: NFS Error: Unable to Mount Filesystem: Unable to connect to NFS server"

I didn't succeed creating an NFS volume mounted over ESX server once.

Can anybody help.................

Thanks

Himabindu

[oreeh]

Did you enable root access (right click the share - NFS Sharing - Permissions - Allow root access)

Also make sure you mapped root to a local :smileyalert: admin account not a domain admin account.

[vrinda]

Yes.I have enabled root access and used local administrator account for mapping the root user.

Thanks...........

[oreeh]

On to the next possible problem...

Did you enable the NFS client in the ESX firewall?

Can you ping the NFS server from the VMkernel (vmkping)?

[weinstein5]

I do not think the problem is with the ESX firewall - I believe the vmkernel port can not connect get to the IP of the NFS mount - check the networking and maje sure they are on the same segment or you have agateway configured for your vmkernel port and it can route to the network the MVS mount is on -

[vrinda]

I have created a virtual switch which will be the IP of a windows machine where there is an NFS share.

And the default gateway is same as that of ESX server's default gateway.

But the ESX server's subnet and windows NFS share is different.

Is this thr right configuration? Still i am getting the same error.

Thanks...............

[oreeh]

Is this thr right configuration?

No. You have to get the routing right before the connection actually can work.

Post the IP configuration

[vrinda]

ESX server IP: 153.34.59.73

Windows NFS server IP:- 153.34.58.240

[oreeh]

what is the gateway to the 53.34.58.0/24 network?

[vrinda]

For ESX server IP: 153.34.59.73 , the default gateway is 153.34.59.1

Windows NFS server IP:- 153.34.58.240 , the default gateway is 153.34.58.1

[oreeh]

Can you ping the NFS server from the ESX server (vmkping 153.34.58.240)?

[vrinda]

Hi,

I am not able to ping using vmkping command.

Can you please help.

Thanks..............

[Texiwill]

Hello,

If you can not vmkping the NFS server from the SC, then the NFS vmkernel device can not reach the NFS server. This is really a networking issue. The vmkernel IP address should be on the network or at least routed to the same network as the NFS server. Run:

esxcfg-vmknics -l

esxcfg-vswitch -l

On the NFS server use 'ipconfig/all' and see if they are on the same network. Can the NFS server ping the NFS vmkernel device.

Note this is NOT the same IP address as the Service Console. If you do not have a NFS vmkernel device then the ESX host can not use NFS as a datastore.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354

As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

[weinstein5 · Accepted solution]

Have you created a vmkernel port on the NFS network - to connect to NFS storage you need to have a vmkernel port that can see the NFS server - the vmkping command will allow you to ping through the vmkernel port -