Adding Storage to a ESX 3.5 server

[Nadine_Venter]

Hi there,

I need some help PLEASE ?:|

I have a Dell 2950 server, that has 2x 146GB drives in, these are not in a RAID. I have installed ESX 3.5 on that server with a Storage one and a Storage 2.

I am in the process of upgrading that server and I have upped the RAM to 20GB and I want to add another 4x 146 GB hard drives.

Now my question: what do I need to do in order for the ESX OS to recognize that extra 4x 146GB drives? If I plug the drives in and create another array and in the VIC client rescan the storage will it recognize the extra storage? How do I repartition those extra drives and format them with VMFS?

Any help would be greately appreciated.

Regards

Nadine

[Gerrit_Lehr]

After adding the disk and booting the ESX you will find the disks in the ESX Configuration Tab under Storage Apapters. In the Storage Configutation you select Add Storage, select the Disk and create a VMFS it. That should be about it.

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

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[kjb007]

If your server supports hot-swap, then you can add the new drives, and rescan your hba's. That should be sufficient. If hot-add functionality is not available, then you will have to reboot as previous poster stated. Once the disks or array is visible, you can use the add storage wizard to create datastore(s) out of the new space.

-KjB

[skyenter]

Most of the time, it will work rescanning thru VC Console as a "Rescan" option but sometimes, it does not work to rescan thru VC if then you need to rescan thru console as a "esxcfg-rescan vmhba0, 1 , etc...."

[TomHowarth]

Thread moved to the VI: ESX 3.5 forum

Tom Howarth

VMware Communities User Moderator

[Nadine_Venter]

Thanks this was all very helpfull, but I have run in to the following.

1.) When I re-scan the HBA's it only picks up 2 of the 4 drives that I have plugged in.

2.) I plugged in 4 x 146GB drives. The Infrastructure client only allows me to create one datastore per drive. What I really want to do is create 1 new datastore with the 4x 146GB drives in that datastore. So I want to combine the new hard drives into one new datastore. I can't see an option to do that?

Remember that I do not have any RAID configuration on that server.

Any advice?

Thanks

N

[skyenter]

I am not sure why only two drives out of 4 drives. Can you reboot your ESX server? Try it.

In terms of creating one datastore out of 4 drives, you can create one datastore using one drive and then add the extent from second and third drive, etc..

[Nadine_Venter]

you are just so clever!!

Thanks so much that worked.

[skyenter]

I am glad to hear that it worked.