Reformatting LUNS

[Eildon]

Looking to migrate LUNS from VMFS3 to VMFS5.

To obtain more functionality plan to reformat existing LUNs rather than in place upgrade. Are these the correct steps?

-Migrate any VMs, templates, ISOs etc off LUN so no data on LUN

-Remove LUN from each host it's associated to. (Host, Configuration, Storage, right click - delete)

-Repeat for each host

Then at this stage should be able to add the LUN again and format it?

-Host, Storage, Add Host, select host again and go through wizard, format etc?

-Then add in other hosts etc

-Rescan HBAs

Then - final question - can I vmotion between VMFS3 and VMFS5 datastores? As I will be working through all my datastores to get them up VMFS5.

Many thanks in advance,

Steve.

[Troy_Clavell · Accepted solution]

-Migrate any VMs, templates, ISOs etc off LUN so no data on LUN

-Remove LUN from each host it's associated to. (Host, Configuration, Storage, right click - delete)

-Repeat for each host

Then at this stage should be able to add the LUN again and format it?

-Host, Storage, Add Host, select host again and go through wizard, format etc?

-Then add in other hosts etc

-Rescan HBAs

This should work just fine

Then - final question - can I vmotion between VMFS3 and VMFS5  datastores? As I will be working through all my datastores to get them  up VMFS5.

vMotion should work no problem as the underlying files still will remain on the datastores.  vMotion only moves the active memory not disk

Remember only ESXi5 Hosts can utlilize VMFS5 volumes.  Your vSphere4 Hosts won't see the VMFS5 volume.  So, if you haven't done so yet, first upgrade all your hosts to ESXi5

[Eildon]

Thanks for the answer.

Sorry pardon my choice of terminology! I meant am I OK to migrate my VMs storage to another datastore (VMFS3 to VMFS5)?

Basically, I have 1 SAN with 6 LUNS. Going to go through each LUN migrating data off, formatting with VMFS5, then migrating VMs back on, and on to the next LUN etc.

Yeah this is the last stage, hosts, VC, tools and Virtual hardware already updated.

Thanks again

Steve

[Troy_Clavell]

yes, you can Storage vMotion between the two.  This is the preferred method. This way you can evacuate the VMFS3 volumes and then delete and format them as VMFS5

[Eildon]

Much appreciated!

[rickardnobel]

Eildon wrote:

-Migrate any VMs, templates, ISOs etc off LUN so no data on LUN

-Remove LUN from each host it's associated to. (Host, Configuration, Storage, right click - delete)

-Repeat for each host

You will only need to do the delete once from one host. This removes the VMFS3 filesystem and makes the LUN just a raw disk area. Just rescan on the other hosts to verify that the datastore is gone.

Eildon wrote:

Then at this stage should be able to add the LUN again and format it?

-Host, Storage, Add Host, select host again and go through wizard, format etc?

-Then add in other hosts etc

-Rescan HBAs

Same here, you would only have to add the datastore once on one host, this creates the VMFS filesystem which makes the LUN into a "datastore". Just wait or do a rescan on the other hosts to verify that it is visible under Storage.