VMware NEWB. NFS help - Storage

[RConner7]

We successfully migrated our first P2V server, now we are looking to expand the storage using the old physical server. We have vSphere client up and running and we are trying to add the old physical server as virtal storage using NFS (if thats how I should do it). I have installed ESXi on the box and defined the IP. I can't figure out how to add the NFS to the storage.

What I've done so far:

From the vsphere client clicked>storage > add storage > NFS. Input the IP address and put "/" only as the folder. - wasn't sure what to put. Put in a datastore name. I refresh the datastores, but I get an error... Error during configuration of the host: NFS Error: Unable to Mount filesystem: Unable to connect to NFS server.

From there I tried to add a VMkernal but I got the same result when I tried to add the NFS. What am I doing wrong?

Should ESXi be installed on all servers I plan to make NFS? Do i have to do somethign to the physical host server that is running vSphere?

Help me out. Thanks

[azn2kew]

What do you use for NFS server? Are you using NetApp or free Openfiler & FreeNAS? Neither solution, you first need to configure your NFS server so it can communicate to and from ESX hosts. Make sure you have appropriate person to mount the mountpoint and just use vSphere client and add storage wizard and select NFS mount point such as /nfs01 or something else you've named with. Make sure you have vmkernel port configured for NFS traffic and the tcp/ip that are valid. I would test to mount it using other windows machine to see if that NFS server is working properly.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

VMware vExpert 2009

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

[RConner7]

Thanks for the info. Looks like i'm heading in the right direction.

I've looked at this website http://www.dabcc.com/article.aspx?id=9768

I go down to this step:

1. Configure the ESX firewall to allow iSCSI software initiator out.

+Log

into the VI client, and highlight the ESX server that you wish to

configure, select the 'configuration' tab. From within the 'software'

section on the left lower panel, select 'security profile', select

'properties'. Ensure that the iSCSI initiator is checked.+

I don't have these options avaiblabe. How do I add these options?

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Moved to the vSphere Storage forum.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, Virtualization Practice Analyst[/url]
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