create new-datastore with specified capacity

[bvdkolk]

Hi all,

I'm doing some research about how to automate the creation of vmfs datastores and specify a certain (custom) size for new datastores.

Some 2 TiB LUN's are presented to my ESX hosts and via the vSphere (Web) Client i'm able to specify a custom space setting for example 1500 GB so 548 GB is still unallocated and (available) for future use on the datastore.

Can this be done via the new-datastore cmdlet? I haven't found out yet..

The command i've used is..

PowerCLI C:\> new-datastore -vmhost esx001.domain.local -name MyDatastore001 -path naa.60001450000000349342ad3282342343 -Vmfs

[LucD]

No, the New-Datastore cmdlet doesn't offer that functionality.

You will have to fall back to a vSphere method, in this case the CreateVmfsDatastore method.

In the VmfsDatastoreCreateSpec you specify under the Partition property, how many blocks shall be used.

You can have a look how it is done via Onyx, or else let me know and I can give you some sample code.

[bvdkolk]

Hi Luc,

It would be nice if you can get help me out and provide some code to get me started..

Or are there any examples the book you've written "vsphere powercli reference"?? I purchased it some time ago..

Ps. My short-term goal is to automate some processes and the final goal is to re-write the steps in python.

Thanks anyway for your help! 

[LucD · Accepted solution]

`Try something like this

It will create a VMFS datastore of around 66GB on the LUN defined by the canonicalname.

Note that due to overhead, there will not be exactly the amount of space specified available.

$esxName = 'MyEsx'

$canonicalName = 'naa.60050768018073a21800000000000123'

$sizeGB = 66

$dsName = 'TestDS'

$esx = Get-View -ViewType HostSystem -Filter @{'Name'=$esxName}

$hdSys = Get-View -Id $esx.ConfigManager.DatastoreSystem

$disk = $hdSys.QueryAvailableDisksForVmfs($null) | where{$_.CanonicalName -eq $canonicalName}

$opt = $hdSys.QueryVmfsDatastoreCreateOptions($disk.DevicePath,$null)

$sectorTotal = $sizeGB * 1GB / 512

$spec = New-Object VMware.Vim.VmfsDatastoreCreateSpec

$spec.DiskUuid = $disk.Uuid

$spec.Partition = $opt[0].Spec.Partition

$spec.Partition.Partition[0].EndSector = $spec.Partition.Partition[0].StartSector + $sectorTotal

$spec.Partition.TotalSectors = $sectorTotal

$spec.Vmfs = New-Object VMware.Vim.HostVmfsSpec

$spec.Vmfs.VolumeName = $dsName

$ext = New-Object VMware.Vim.HostScsiDiskPartition

$ext.DiskName = $canonicalName

$ext.Partition = $opt[0].Info.Layout.Partition[0].Partition

$spec.Vmfs.Extent = $ext

$spec.vmfs.MajorVersion = $opt[0].Spec.Vmfs.MajorVersion

$hdSys.CreateVmfsDatastore($spec)

[bvdkolk]

Hi Luc,

Many thanks for the sample code. Great job!