unable to remove data store to change the block size

[RobAtKalido]

I am getting an error when i try to remove the datastore. My end result is i want to change the block size to 4M so i can support a larger Virtual drive. One of the machines i am cloneing has a partition that is 670GBs and it is all in use so i cant just make it a smaller partition. The error i am getting when i try to delete the data store is:

Remove datastore The resource '4c7d6b89-196b52e6-b821-0026b97dcb56' is in use.

any help would be great

-Rob

[AWo]

Welcome to the forums!

Any guest left on that datastore or is that the only one for a particular ESX host?

AWo

VCP 3 & 4

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[RobAtKalido]

No, this is actually a brand new build. I moved the other guest off it and was having the issue, so i blew away the install and built a new one. But i didnt see an option to set the block size on setup so i basically ended up at the same place.

[AWo]

So you have managed to create a new datastore finally, but not to choose/change the blocksize?

AWo

VCP 3 & 4

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[RobAtKalido]

yes, but it took rebuilding the box to get a new data store, unfortunatelty i am kinda new to vmware. I found this command:

vmkfstools --createfs vmfs3 --blocksize 4M vmhba1:0:0:3

but i am not sure what to us for the "vmhba 1:0:03" part

[AWo]

Why don't you use the vClient. You can run through a wizard, there....

vmkfstools --createfs vmfs3 --blocksize 4M vmhba1:0:0:3

uses the first HBA to create a partition on LUN 3. Add the "--setfsname

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[techsuresh]

hi

tell me first that you want to add a new empty datastore to that esx server? make sure that the datestore already connected to any other esx machine?

if you tell me then i can guide you properly

suresh

[AWo]

Try to use "esxcfg-info -s | grep "Path Name" to get a list of valid path names.

AWo

VCP 3 & 4

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[RobAtKalido]

I am not sure i follow, maybe this will help, i think i need to add something like this.. but i am not sure so below i included the output from my /vmfs/devices/disks directory

vmkfstools --createfs vmfs3 --blocksize 4M -S Datastore1 /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e

I am using esx 4.1

# ls -lah

total 5.0T

drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 512 Sep 1 08:36 .

drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 512 Sep 1 08:36 ..

-rw------- 1 root root 1.7T Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e

-rw------- 1 root root 1.1G Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:1

-rw------- 1 root root 110M Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:2

-rw------- 1 root root 1.7T Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:3

-rw------- 1 root root 1.7T Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:5

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 36 Sep 1 08:36 vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036 -> naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Sep 1 08:36 vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036:1 -> naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:1

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Sep 1 08:36 vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036:2 -> naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:2

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Sep 1 08:36 vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036:3 -> naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:3

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Sep 1 08:36 vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036:5 -> naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:5

#

[RobAtKalido]

# esxcfg-info -s | grep "Path Name"

|----Path Name....................................vmhba1:C0:T32:L0

|----Path Name....................................vmhba1:C2:T0:L0

|----Path Name....................................vmhba2:C0:T0:L0

[AWo]

No. What you refernce to is already a VMFS datastore, but you want to create a new one, so you need an "empty" device. One without a VMFS datastore.

Which LUN is the one you want to create the new VMFS datastore on?

AWo

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[RobAtKalido]

I guess the end result is to have only one VMFS with a block size of 4m.. So ideally i would like to change the block size of the current one or remove the current one and create a new one with a 4m block size.

[AWo]

Post the content of "/vmfs"devices/disk" and mark the device where you want to create that datastore.

Or use the vClient, as you do not have to deal with all those numbers. In this directory you see the ID of the device and if you do not know it it is really and much more easy to use the vClient.

It will automatically choose free devices for you where you can create the datastore. Then you will come across this screen where you can choose the blocksize:

AWo

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[RobAtKalido]

this is the output of /vmfs/devices/disks/

root@us-s-zim disks# ls -lah

total 5.0T

drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 512 Sep 1 08:36 .

drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 512 Sep 1 08:36 ..

-rw------- 1 root root 1.7T Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e

-rw------- 1 root root 1.1G Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:1

-rw------- 1 root root 110M Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:2

-rw------- 1 root root 1.7T Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:3

-rw------- 1 root root 1.7T Sep 1 08:36 naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:5

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 36 Sep 1 08:36

vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036 ->

naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Sep 1 08:36

vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036:1 ->

naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:1

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Sep 1 08:36

vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036:2 ->

naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:2

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Sep 1 08:36

vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036:3 ->

naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:3

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 38 Sep 1 08:36

vml.020000000060026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e504552432036:5 ->

naa.60026b905735f500140fec0a09ce035e:5

The problem started with me not being able to delete the datastore with the VClient. it says that it is in use. Is there any way to wipe the data store via commandline and then create it using the vclient?

[AWo]

You told us that you already destroyed that datastore....so the datastore is stillpresent?

However, have you browsed the datastore? If the vClient doesn't delete it it might be for a good reason. I would browse it first and check what's left there. That's why I asked if that is a local VMFS datastore as the console is stored on that.

The listing is not enough to give you the command line option to create the datastore. As I wrote, you must know which of the devices show in this listing is the target for the new datastore.

AWo

VCP 3 & 4

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[RobAtKalido]

well i did some more research and it may be becuase the OS and the data store are on the same partition. I am going to reinstall and try and fix that. Wish me luck

[AWo]

That's why you could not delete the VMFS datastore. The console is stored on that one. Then you have to reinstall the ESX server. I'm not sure if you're asked for the block size for that local partition.

AWo

VCP 3 & 4

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[SudhirH]

Hi Rob,

Refer to KB Article : Increasing block size of local storage in ESX 4.x (1012683)

You can install ESX 3.5 and specify block size during install and then do a upgrade to ESX 4.0 else

Refer to the method where you can kill the GUI installer and change the blocksize in the fsset.py configuration and then start the installer.

Regards,

Sudhir