Managing Storage

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After you create datastores, you can change their properties, use folders to group datastores based on your business needs, or delete unused datastores. You might also need to set up multipathing for your storage or resignature datastore copies.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n“Managing Datastores,” on page 111

n“Changing VMFS Datastore Properties,” on page 113

n“Managing Duplicate VMFS Datastores,” on page 115

n“Using Multipathing with ESX,” on page 117

n“Storage Hardware Acceleration,” on page 125

n“Thin Provisioning,” on page 126

n“Turn off vCenter Server Storage Filters,” on page 129

Managing Datastores

An ESX system uses datastores to store all files associated with its virtual machines. After you create datastores, you can manage them by performing a number of tasks.

A datastore is a logical storage unit that can use disk space on one physical device, one disk partition, or span several physical devices. The datastore can exist on different types of physical devices, including SCSI, iSCSI, Fibre Channel SAN, or NFS.

Datastores are added to the vSphere Client in one of the following ways:

nDiscovered when a host is added to the inventory. The vSphere Client displays any datastores that the host can recognize.

nCreated on an available storage device using the Add Storage command.

After the datastores are created, you can use them to store virtual machine files. You can manage them by renaming, removing, and setting access control permissions. In addition, you can group datastores to organize them and set the same permissions across the group at one time.

For information on setting access control permissions on a datastore, see the vSphere Client Help.

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ESX Configuration Guide

Rename Datastores

You can change the name of an existing datastore.

Procedure

1Display the datastores.

2 Right-click the datastore to rename and select Rename.

3Type a new datastore name.

If you use the vCenter Server system to manage your hosts, the new name appears on all hosts that have access to the datastore.

Group Datastores

If you use the vCenter Server system to manage your hosts, group datastores into folders. This allows you to organize your datastores according to business practices and to assign the same permissions and alarms on the datastores in the group at one time.

Procedure

1Log in to the vSphere Client.

2If necessary, create the datastores.

For details, see the vSphere Client Help.

3In the Inventory panel, choose Datastores.

4 Select the datacenter containing the datastores to group. 5 In the shortcut menu, click the New Folder icon.

6Give the folder a descriptive name.

7Click and drag each datastore onto the folder.

Delete Datastores

You can delete any type of VMFS datastore, including copies that you have mounted without resignaturing. When you delete a datastore, it is destroyed and disappears from all hosts that have access to the datastore.

Prerequisites

Before deleting a datastore, remove all virtual machines from the datastore. Make sure that no other host is accessing the datastore.

Procedure

1Display the datastores.

2 Right-click the datastore to delete and click Delete.

3Confirm that you want to delete the datastore.

Unmount Datastores

When you unmount a datastore, it remains intact, but can no longer be seen from the hosts that you specify. It continues to appear on other hosts, where it remains mounted.

You can unmount only the following types of datastores:

nNFS datastores

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