Unable to add/expand storage to Datastore1

[CFerge]

I'm working on a customers newly setup VMWare ESXi Server. Current there is 1 production vmware guest on it running Windows 2008 SBS.

We started the project with 541GB of storage local, soon realizing we needed additional storage we installed 3 additional 146GB SAS Drives.

I expanded the array along with the logical drive using the HP ACU (SmartStart CD) Giving the array a total of 956.90GB of space.

My Question, how can I expand the datastore to use that newly available space?

Any additional information I can provide please let me know.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

- Chad

[weinstein5]

With vSphere you can actually expand the underlying VMFS datastore - in the datastore properties under Volume properties select the Increase . . . button -

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[CFerge]

Thats the first thing I tried and it comes up as empty... unable to increase anything.

I have a screenshot attached to my original msg with the screen empty. (increase_datastore1_capacity.jpg)

[a_p_]

Unless I'm mistaken, you cannot increase the datastore on he installation disk.

As you can see in the partition layout (your screen shot) the disk contains 3 primary and 1 extended partition. To be able to grow the VMFS the additional disk space needs to be adjacent to the current VMFS datastore, which isn't.

In your case, you need to backup the VM, do a fresh install and restore the VM.

André

[CFerge]

Could I use a knoppix CD and resize it via gparted? I'm downloading the latest knoppix right now to test that on my test server. All I want to do is add the storage to that one single partition...

[a_p_]

If you have a test server you can try to move the extended partition to the end of the disk to free up space behind the VMFS partition. However, I never even thought about something like that before and I cannot tell you whether this works or not.

Don't try to modify the VMFS partition in any way with gparted! After moving the extended partition, try to grow the VMFS using the vSphere client.

Even if that works on your test server, make sure you have a current backup of the production VM's.

André

[CFerge]

Thanks! I'll try that on my test system.

[brian1mc]

Hi,

How did you get on with this? I've ran GPARTED from a live cd but both the vmfs filesystem is showing as unknown. Have you been able to use the unallocated space for you datastore?

Regards,

Brian

[CFerge]

I ended up having to run the HP Smartstart CD, to expand the array... then move the VM From the array to a 1TB SATA drive I installed, ran the VM off the 1TB drive for awhile... Then deleted the datastore on the HP array then recreated so vmware could fully use it.

In the future, I will be creating 1 array and 2 Logical Drives..... first logical drive will be for the VMWare Install... the second will be for the Datastore, that way I can expand it if I so choose in the future.

Regards,

Chad

[brian1mc]

Cheers Chad, thanks for that.

[netlinecg]

If  you like the thrill you can try this:

- Boot the Server with Partiton Manager Tool (Acronis Disk Director can see VMware VMFS Partitions).

- Delete all Partitions except the VMFS Partititon.

- Move the VMFS Partition to the beginnig of the disk

Then put an USB Stick into the server and install ESXi on it (remove the Harddisks before to be shure not to format them).

Insert the Disks and boot from the Stick.

Configure ESXi as it was before.

From the vSphere Client you can browse the Datastore to get the VMs from the hopefully existing Datastore to the inventory.

Because the ESXi installation now is not on the Disk with VMFS you can increase the size of the VMFS.

In my case it worked well.

May the force be with you.