Increase a VMDK pass 2TB size limit

[Mast3rNe0]

We have a data drive .vmdk that needs to be increased pass 2TB as it running out of space.

ESXI is 5.5. Update 3

Guest VM is a Server 2012 server.

How can I get this .vmdk increased pass this 2TB limit that i have read about?

From what I understand, I need to do the following:

for the VMDK itself, guest VM needs to be shutdown to increase it (datastore is VMFS5)

For the Server VM itself:

- Disk needs to be GPT (currently it MBR so it needs to be either WIPED and converted in Computer Management OR be covnerted using a third party APP).

Does the VM need to be in EFI rather then BIOS as well since it just a data .vmdk and not the main OS partition .vmdk, not sure if that required for the machine to see the 2TB+ drive.

[a_p_]

Agreed to all what you already found out.

It's not necessary to have EFI Boot for the VM, if you only want to format a virtual disk - other than the boot disk - with GPT.

André

[vijayrana968]

All steps are correct, VMFS-5 support up to 62TB. You won't need to enable EFI unless the volume you are increasing larger than 2TB, is the boot volume of this VM.