Size of new VMFS partition is only 1.36 Tb

[Dragal]

Hello!

We've got a SAN storage with LUN created as a 3.36 Tb partition. I map this partition to ESX 4 host and can see it in Configuration - Storage.

But when I attempt to create a new VMFS partition, it says than only 1.36 Tb available...

Screenshot provided.

Changing maximum block size does nothing..

I beg your advice!

[ab_lal]

The standard LUN size should be 2 TB and then you can extend with another 2 TB. Try checking with your SAN team to provide you 2 LUN's of 2 TB's rather than 1 chunk of 3.6 TB. Hope this helps

[Dragal]

Well, it's rather awkward.. because I'm limited with number of LUNs at my SAN system =(

So it seems to be solved this way:

- I create 2 LUNs at my SAN system, 2 Tb each

- then I map them both to my ESX host

- with vCenter I create 2 Tb VMFS partition and then expand it with another 2 Tb LUN

But why now I can see only 1.36 Tb available? Not 2 Tb (maximum LUN size, as I understand). And according to my plan above I will fail again with 1.36 Tb limitation.

Why did I stuck with this size?

[ab_lal · Accepted solution]

ESX does not report the correct size on a RDM larger than 2TB. Please refer the document below

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=337173...

Secondly, Are you trying to provide 3.6TB to a single VM (In a single Hard drive)

Please note that you can extend LUN's to a max storage volume of 64 TB (2TB x 32 LUN's) however you cannot assign more than 2 TB to a single hard drive. You will still need to create 2 hard drives of 2 TB each, so i would suggest that you do not use extends and present 1st LUN of 2 TB to 1st Hard drive and 2nd LUN of 1.6TB to 2nd Hard drive.

[Dragal]

Thanks a lot, I've solved my problem by creating 2 partitions: 1.9 Tb and 1.464 Tb, and creating a VMWare datastore of 1.9 Tb partition and then expanding it by means of 1.434 Tb partition.

Thanks again!

[ab_lal]

You are welcome