Add Extent - Expand VMFS volume....

[hillda01]

Hi,

I created a VMFS volume of 40Gb and after a while realised I should have made it a bit bigger - I've expanded the space on my SAN and then re-scanned the adapter and all is well - I can see the extra space.

Is there a way to extend this volume into my 40Gb without loosing the contents of the directory.

I can see how to add extent but that destroys everthing...

Is there like partition magic for VMFS :smileygrin:

Regards

Dave

[java_cat33]

You will need to create a new lun and use the new lun as an extent for your old lun. My recommendation would be to create a larger new lun and migrate your VM (s) off your current one onto the new one, then delete your old lun.

I believe in the next version of ESX (vSphere) there is some new functionality for extending a vmfs volume without using extents "Online VMFS expansion - handy, so if you can extend a LUN from your array you can grow the VMFS into it online without downtime, up until now the only alternative was downtime or storage vMotion to a brand-new LUN, or to use extents which are not as safe"

Message was edited by: java_cat33 - added vSphere info

[hillda01]

I thought that might be the case - but was just checking if there is a way to extend the partition and have it as one....

[djciaro]

use add an extend to your existing datastore:

vmkfstools -Z vmhba1:0:12:1 vmhba1:0:11:1

or via GUI:

Adding Extents to Datastores

You can expand a VMFS datastore by attaching a hard disk partition as an extent.

To add one or more extents to a datastore’s spanned volumes

1. Click the arrow next to the Inventory button in the navigation bar and choose Hosts and Clusters.

2. Select the host and click the Configuration tab.

3. Click Storage.

4. In the Storage list, right-click a datastore and choose Properties.

5. Click Add Extent.

6. On the Extent Device page, select the disk to add as the new extent and click Next.

7. Review the current layout of the disk you are using for the extent to make sure the disk doesn’t contain important information.

If a disk or partition you add was formatted previously, it will be reformatted and lose the file systems and any data it contained.

8. Click Next.

9. On the Extent Size page, set the capacity for the extent.

By default, the entire free space available on the storage device is offered to you.

10. Click Next.

11. Review the proposed extent layout and the new configuration of your datastore and click Finish.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!

[hillda01]

Thanks for the step by step guide.

Does this just create a mount point to the new partition on the volume?

[hillda01]

Also what is the best and quickest way to relocate the Virtual Machine files on the SAN - is it best to just do a migrate and move virtual machine files.

Remove the VM from the inventory, just SSH into the ESX host mv the files to a different volume and then re-add the machine to the inventory.

Regards

Dave

[BUGCHK]

I can see how to add extent but that destroys everthing...

No, it does not! You can put a VMFS extent into the free space, even from the VI-Client. This works 3 times, because the VI-Client creates additional primary partitions - I know it, because I have tried it.

[bigslash]

Hi to all ,

last year i was in the same kind of situation about the extends.I have done some research which will be better ,adding extend or create a new lun and transfer the files to that.But no one could make me sure of adding the extend will be will be without problems,In fact in some test platforms i have managed to add the extend without any problem ,but since it was production ,i chosed the long way,

Create a new lun ,transfer the files to that

That will be the long solution ,but in the end there wont be any problems in the future,Because adding an extend is just like making 2 disks as raid 0

,Then if a disk fails ,the raid is corrupted,So just like the extend wil do,

[hillda01]

So you went with the move VM's of the LUN, blow the LUN away and move the VM's back.

What way did you go about moving the VM's around - just to migrate from within the Virtual Center?