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JawidKaderi
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Installing vSpeher 7 (allocated 150GB - but I see only 21.75GB)

I am totally new to VMWare world. This is only for my learning. I have a desktop PC with 1TB HD and 32GB RAM. I am good with space.
I installed VMWare 16 Pro. I have played around with building Windwos/Linus VMS. However, just recently, I decided to learn vSphere and vCenter and all that.
So, I followed Udemy and I installed vSphere multiple times. My issue is as such:

Upon installation, I was given default values for the VM to install vSphere 7 (2CPU, 4GB RAM, 120GB HD), but I chose 150GB storage space. The installation went find every time. But, the storage space was divided between multiple partitions as such:
VMFS=(22GB) 
VMFSL=(119.9GB);
the rest were allocated to EFI, and 2 Basic Data partitions.Now, when I try to build a VM on my ESXi machine, I only see 21.75GB. For some reason I only have access to the VMFS.
How can I access the rest in VMFSL?
BTW, I cannot even expand the storage or create new datastore because it says "No Devices with free space"
Please help. 
I appreciate it.

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JawidKaderi_2-1665964299740.png

I installed 8.0 this time. I am getting the same thing.

JawidKaderi_3-1665964425754.png

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Techie01
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vsphere 7 has different disk partition sizing compared to earlier releases. Around 120GB will be used by VMFS-L partition ( also known as OSDATA partition) . This partition acts as the unified location to store extra (nonboot) modules, system configuration and state, system virtual machines and logs . In this partition you cannot run normal VMs.

Refer : https://core.vmware.com/resource/esxi-system-storage-changes

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IRIX201110141
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Do you try to install ESXi as a VM within your VMware Workstation where you have created such a VM with a 142GB vDisk?.

If i understand right:

  1. Shutdown the virtual ESXi VM
  2. Configure the VMware Workstation VM with a aditional vDisk
  3. Start the virtual ESXi VM again
  4. Under "Storage" you can now create a new VMFS6 on the additional vDisk which is than datastore2(name of your choice of course)

Explanation what you have seen.

If ESXi installer founds a disk which is larger that ~130GB or so it creates its needed partitions and increase the OS_DATA(VMFSL) up to 128. The rest starting at >~130GB is created automatictly as a (VMFS6) Datastore1 to place VMs on.  Depends on the size of your disk this automaticly created Datastore1 can be tiny 😉

Its up for the Admin to create now external Storage as SAN/NAS or by using other local disks the ESXI have.

Regards,
Joerg

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IRIX201110141
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@JawidKaderi 

youre welcome.

Because of you are playing with a virtual ESXi VM you can easily create a new one with a single 500GB and after installation of ESXi you see a single Datastore1 with around ~370GB for your VMs.

But youre way more flexible with your additional vDisk(s) within VMware Workstation because if needed you can move the vDisk around or clone/copy(backup  it or when having need for a smaller datastore2 you can delete and create a new one with the size of your choice. This will not effect the already installed ESXi OS.

Regards,
Joerg

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Techie01
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vsphere 7 has different disk partition sizing compared to earlier releases. Around 120GB will be used by VMFS-L partition ( also known as OSDATA partition) . This partition acts as the unified location to store extra (nonboot) modules, system configuration and state, system virtual machines and logs . In this partition you cannot run normal VMs.

Refer : https://core.vmware.com/resource/esxi-system-storage-changes

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IRIX201110141
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Do you try to install ESXi as a VM within your VMware Workstation where you have created such a VM with a 142GB vDisk?.

If i understand right:

  1. Shutdown the virtual ESXi VM
  2. Configure the VMware Workstation VM with a aditional vDisk
  3. Start the virtual ESXi VM again
  4. Under "Storage" you can now create a new VMFS6 on the additional vDisk which is than datastore2(name of your choice of course)

Explanation what you have seen.

If ESXi installer founds a disk which is larger that ~130GB or so it creates its needed partitions and increase the OS_DATA(VMFSL) up to 128. The rest starting at >~130GB is created automatictly as a (VMFS6) Datastore1 to place VMs on.  Depends on the size of your disk this automaticly created Datastore1 can be tiny 😉

Its up for the Admin to create now external Storage as SAN/NAS or by using other local disks the ESXI have.

Regards,
Joerg

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JawidKaderi
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Thank you.

I think I also read that somewhere. It is almost like allocated space for temporary files that OS creates. If I am not mistaken, in Windows, there is temp folder that sometimes, we have to go and delete it.

JawidKaderi_5-1666003780475.png

 

 

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JawidKaderi
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Thank you Joerg!

I think it worked.
Thank you.

JawidKaderi_0-1666003557257.png

 



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IRIX201110141
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@JawidKaderi 

youre welcome.

Because of you are playing with a virtual ESXi VM you can easily create a new one with a single 500GB and after installation of ESXi you see a single Datastore1 with around ~370GB for your VMs.

But youre way more flexible with your additional vDisk(s) within VMware Workstation because if needed you can move the vDisk around or clone/copy(backup  it or when having need for a smaller datastore2 you can delete and create a new one with the size of your choice. This will not effect the already installed ESXi OS.

Regards,
Joerg