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tjsHampton
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Storage Limit on ESXI

Hi Everyone,

I have installed the free version of ESXi, a number of times on a Dell Poweredge 2900 Server witih a 6TB RAID 5. The RAID uses a Perc Controller. This is a brand new server with no data on the hard drives.

After each install, I have tried to create a new "datastore" with the Virtual Infrastructure Client (VIC). In each case, the maximum available space for the data store was 372.5G. The VI client actually showed that the "capacity" of the server was 6 TB, but only showed that 372.5G of it was "available".

What is the maximum size that a "datastore" in ESXi can be? And if the answer is 2 TB (per configuration maximum doc), what should I check to understand why I can't allocate more than 372.5 G to an ESXi data store?

Thanks!

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Jackobli
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Hello and welcome to the VMware ESXi community forum.

You already got two valid answers (2 TBytes limit).

You have to use your perc setup (BIOS tool, dell management solution) to carve more than one volume out of your disks. So instead of one 6 TB volume, you may create 3 2 TB volumes and use this volumes for separate datastores.

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Rubeck
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Hi

First: I have no knowdledge of Dell stuff but..

A 6TB volume can not be handled correctly by the vmkernel running.. The max is 2TB (as you've guessed)

You can only have one VMFS partition per LUN so you'll have to do some reconfiguration of your storage..

/Rubeck

AntonVZhbankov
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Maximum LUN size = 2TB

Maximum vmdk file size = 2TB

Maximum VMFS datastore size = 64TB (32 LUNs * 2TB)

If your LUN is more than 2 TB then ESXi will not treat it right.


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Jackobli
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Hello and welcome to the VMware ESXi community forum.

You already got two valid answers (2 TBytes limit).

You have to use your perc setup (BIOS tool, dell management solution) to carve more than one volume out of your disks. So instead of one 6 TB volume, you may create 3 2 TB volumes and use this volumes for separate datastores.

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tjsHampton
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Hi Everyone,

Thank you for your answers. Your answers were helpful. I now am able to recognize and use all 6TB of my storage with esxi. I re-configured my RAID storage to create 3 x 2TB luns. ESXI picked each of those up as new datastores immediately upon installation.

Thanks!

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doughairfield
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Is this 2TB file size limit still the case with ESXi 4?

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Dave_Mishchenko
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Yes - the documentation lists the limit as 2 TB - 512 B.

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s3lam09
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Hye all,

i have the same problems with u tjsHamton. how do u configure your raid 5?? can u tech me please?

when i check my server using gparted there are 6TB unpartition. how i want to make this 6TB in 1 partition? is it can?? because i want to make this server as File & Print server.

how to create the vmfs file system? can show me the cmd

Thanks all..

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DSTAVERT
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s3lam09

ou need to create your own post. This question is marked answered so you risk not having your question recognized

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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