Extend datastore and Virtual Machine "C" drive with VMotion enabled in it`s host

[ferianto85]

Dear Expert,

My company has 4 hosts ESX 3.5 server.

Each of ESX host has 3 Virtual Machines on it. Each of host has VMOTION enabled.

Now, we try to run vcb backup but we can not do it because insufficient left space, so we must extend each of datastore space (from 20 GB to be 40 GB) and "C" drive on each Virtual Machines.

Kindly need your suggestion and help, how we can extend datastore and "C" drive of Virtual Machine that has VMotion enabled on each hosts?

I just affraid if I try to extend the datastore or "C" drive (VMotion enabled on hosts), it will make the Virtual machine (vmdk file) corupted?

Is there any step by step to do it, please?

Please help this newbie person.

Thank you for anyhelp in advance

regards,

--Ferianto--

[ThompsG]

Hi there,

Under 3.5 you cannot extend the datastore so you will need to create a new datastore at a larger size then Storage vMotion the virtual machine to the new drive or migrate cold if you don't have Storage vMotion.

Once the virtual machine is on a larger datastore then you can extend the drive from the VI client by selecting the VMDK you wish to expand. Once this has happened you will then need to expand the drive from within the OS. There a quite a few articles around on how to achieve this but basically you need to attach the VMDK to another virtual machine expand from there or boot from a Linux/WinPE disk and expand from there. Either way the VM needs to be powered down to make this change.

Here is a pretty detailed step by step: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100726...

Also do a search for extpart from DELL as this extends the OS partition/volume while you are running on it.

Kind regards.

Message was edited by: ThompsG added link to guide

[ferianto85]

Dear ThompsG,

I have tried this and it works in Virtual Machine which is installed not in VMotion host enabled. I could create new datastore, and extend it using command "vmkfstools -X [newsize] [xx.vmdk]" and using diskpart command.

But, I am not sure if I tried this in Virtual machine which is installed in host with VMotion enabled. Why? Because as I know, in VMotion, there is a HA feature.

Can this also works in virtual machine which is installed in host with VMotion feature enabled, please ?

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100726...

Kindly need for suggestion

thank you,

--feri--

[ThompsG]

Hi,

The extending of the VMDK for a virtual machine does not make any difference whether it is on a VMotioned enabled host/cluster or not. It will still work the same way. Doing the expansion of the VMDK from the command-line I would recommend making the change from the host that is running the virtual machine but apart from that there should not be any issues.

Kind regards,

Glen

[ferianto85]

Oh I see....So, there will be no problem yah...

Oh ya, ThompsG..can I ask you? How can I map "JKTVMBKP01" which is installed on JKTVMBKP01C with 3 others host machine (with 3 Red Cross mark)?

Here is I sent you the map.

I am sorry due to privacy, I can not publish the IP Address to this forum.

Kindly need you suggestion, please?

Thanks,

--feri--

[ferianto85]

Problem Solved.

Thanks for any help