Extending storage on ESX 3.5 by adding additional ...

Petr_Mares · ‎12-13-2008

Hello everybody,

I have added 2 new HDDs into my RAID5 array and extended the logical drive. I can see the new capacity in VC Storage, but can not find a way how to reflect the change so I can levearege it on the ESX level. This is local storage.

Thanks in advance,

Petr

weinstein5 · ‎12-13-2008

I am assuming you are looking to grow your VMFS datastore - you can not grow your datastore by growing the partition it sits on - you will to add extents which allows you to add additional luns 0 this is done through the properties of the VMFS datastore - one way you could have accomplished this would have been to create a new RAID set and then used extents to add the RAID set to your VMFS datastore -

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Petr_Mares · ‎12-13-2008

In this case, would it be possible to move the VMs which are on the VMFS at that time to some external storege and format or recreate the VMFS partition so it would reflexc the change on the RAID level? The thing is that those additional HDDs are already members of the RAID array and so there is nothing I can do about it. On top of it, I have 4 VMs in production on that box so I need to limit the downtime.

Thx

Texiwill · ‎12-13-2008

Hello,

In this case, would it be possible to move the VMs which are on the VMFS at that time to some external storege and format or recreate the VMFS partition so it would reflexc the change on the RAID level? The thing is that those additional HDDs are already members of the RAID array and so there is nothing I can do about it.

The best method is as you describe, to recreate the VMFS. Or add a second VMFS. EIther works. Sometimes more VMFS and more LUNs is better than one giant LUN, but I would recreate teh VMFS to change its size but as you stated after the VMs have been moved.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

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Petr_Mares · ‎12-13-2008

Can you post here set of commands I should use to make this happen please?

Thx in advance

Texiwill · ‎12-14-2008

Hello,

I would first use the VIC and if you have the Enterprise license SVMotion the VMs to other storage. If you do not have the Enterprise License get a copy of VMware COnverter and V2V the VMs to another storage location, perhaps your local machine. Some place with enough disk space.

Then I would use the VIC to then delete the data store. On your storage device recreate the LUN, then represent the LUN to ESX and using the VIC once more recreate the VMFS on the newly recreated LUN.

Then use VMware Converter to V2V the VMs to the new LUN.

However if you want to add a new LUN instead, create the LUN on your storage device, then present the LUN to ESX and using the VIC create a VMFS out of the LUN.

These steps are covered within the http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35/vi3_35_25_admin_guide.pdf