I have just installed ESXI4 and created my first VM no problem. I have an issue when I have come to create a VM to use as a file storage system. I want to create a VM on one 500GB disk and for it to use all the space but I get an error.
'File is larger than the maximum size supported by datastore 'datastore2'. New virtual machine 1/new virtual machine 1.vmdk.
When I checked the storage section under the config tab it states the maximum file size on that datastore is 256GB. So does this mean I can only create 256GB machines and therefore I cant store a large number of files on them?
The largest vmdk file in a datastore is determined by the block size selected when you formatted the datastore disk. Increasing this changes the maximum file size. If this is an issue you can create multiple vmdk files for your vm.
The largest vmdk file in a datastore is determined by the block size selected when you formatted the datastore disk. Increasing this changes the maximum file size. If this is an issue you can create multiple vmdk files for your vm.
Maximum File Size is 2TB, but also it depends on VMFS block size. By default VMFS is created with 1MB blocs allowing you to create 256GB files. 2TB files are allowed with 8MB blocks.
So if you need that size, you have to destroy you datastore and create it again with bigger block size.
I have just installed ESXI4 and created my first VM no problem. I have an issue when I have come to create a VM to use as a file storage system. I want to create a VM on one 500GB disk and for it to use all the space but I get an error.
...to add a little to what the others have said, for your case you'll need a minimum block size of 2MB, but I would go with 4MB, just to be safe
When you create a new datastore you get to choose the block size. You cannot change the block size of an exisitng datastore with deleting and recreating it Im afraid
The largest vmdk file in a datastore is determined by the block size selected when you formatted the datastore disk. Increasing this changes the maximum file size. If this is an issue you can create multiple vmdk files for your vm.
But using multiple vmdk files would mean every vmdk file is sized to 2GB and that means you'll have hundred of vmdk files!
I've also come across this problem so I had to delete the pre-created datastore and create a new one.
It's nice that ESXi installed without user intervention, but it would be nicer if it asks what "maximum file size" the user wants before creating the datastore when the "free space" is very large!
