Extend Pre-allocated disk in a production evironment

[Arimont]

Hello,

I am relatively new to VMWARE.

I have "inherited" a network with 30 VMs, all of them running Windows Server 2016.

One of them is a file server with a 1.4TB pre-allocated disk. I want to extend the disk by 1TB (2.4TB in total) but the "increase capacity" is turned off.

How can I solve this?

TIA for the assistance.

Ariel M

[Alex_Romeo]

HI,

do you want to extend the datastore LUN or the File server 2016 HDD?

From what I understand you want to extend the 1.4 TB disk of FIle Server, but the image is of the LUN.

If you want to extend the server's HDD, you need to select "Change settings" on the server, for example, increase the disk. 1.4 -> 2.4, then enter the server and from "Computer Management" -> "Disk Management" run the disk extension:

This video is old but gives an idea of what needs to be done to increase the space of a virtual machine:

ESXi - Expand Virtual Hard Disk - YouTube

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If that's not enough, you want to increase the LUN space ... let me know (to do this you need to buy HDDs to add).

ARomeo

[Arimont]

Yo are right, I want to increase the Server's HDD.

But, I guess since its pre-allocated, I cannot do it from the "change settings".

Any suggestions?

[RDPetruska]

What VMware product and version are you using?

[Alex_Romeo]

Hi,

is the virtual machine turned on or off?

What version are you using on esxi \ vcenter?

ARomeo

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

according to the screenshots that you've posted you are running the VM on an ESXi host, but you are trying tom manage it from VMware Workstation!?

Please open the VM's settings in the Embedded Host Client (the Web UI) to see whether it allows you to resizre the virtual disk.

Please remember that the NFS server - on which the VM's files are stored - as well as the guest operating system need to support files/partitions >2TB. For the guest OS this means that the disk needs to have a GPT partition table.

André

[Arimont]

Thanks, I will try to turn the machine off (it will happen only Thursday...) and extend the disk from the web UI.

I will update.

[Alex_Romeo]

Hi,

Great! Thank you.

ARomeo

[RDPetruska]

Again, what VMware product and version are you using?  You've posted in the VMware Server 1.0 forum, which has been a dead product for probably 10 years now.  If you tell us, we can move the thread to the appropriate forum, where you would likely get better responses (and might even be able to search for others' similar issues as well).

[Arimont]

From what I understand I have VMware ESXi, 6.5.0, 9298722

is this what you are asking?

[RDPetruska]

Thread moved to ESXi forum.

[IRIX201110141]

Yes.... we ask for the ESXi Version.

Its not so common to manage the VMs on a ESXi Hypervisor trough VMware Workstation.

If this only is a single Host without vCenter try

https://esxIP/ui

or when vCenter is there

https://vcsaIP/.

For example... you cant increase a VM vDisk when the VM is running on a snapshot. The the fields are greyed out. Its easy to see in the WebGUI and you can check the vDIsk Filename to check if there is a -00000x.vmdk naming scheme.

Regards,
Joerg

[mrahhali]

Hi, has this been resolved? as i have preallocated HD on Vm and can't expand it? advise kindly