System information

Understanding Storage Device Naming
In the vSphere Client, each storage device, or LUN, is identified by several names.
Name
A friendly name that the host assigns to a device based on the storage type and
manufacturer. You can modify the name using the vSphere Client.
Identifier
A universally unique identifier that the host extracts from the storage.
Depending on the type of storage, the host uses different algorithms to extract
the identifier. The identifier is persistent across reboots and is the same for all
hosts sharing the device.
Runtime Name
The name of the first path to the device. The runtime name is created by the
host. The name is not a reliable identifier for the device, and is not persistent.
The runtime name has the following format:
vmhba#:C#:T#:L#, where
n
vmhba# is the name of the storage adapter. The name refers to the physical
adapter on the host, not to the SCSI controller used by the virtual machines.
n
C# is the storage channel number.
n
T# is the target number. Target numbering is decided by the host and might
change if there is a change in the mappings of targets visible to the host.
Targets that are shared by different hosts might not have the same target
number.
n
L# is the LUN number that shows the position of the LUN within the target.
The LUN number is provided by the storage system. If a target has only
one LUN, the LUN number is always zero (0).
For example, vmhba1:C0:T3:L1 represents LUN1 on target 3 accessed through
the storage adapter vmhba1 and channel 0.
Display Storage Devices for a Host
You can use the vSphere Client to display all storage devices or LUNs available to your host, including all local
and networked devices. If you use any third-party multipathing plugins, storage devices available through
the plugins also appear on the list.
Procedure
1 In Inventory, select Hosts and Clusters.
2 Select a host and click the Configuration tab.
3 In Hardware, select Storage.
4 Click Devices.
5 To view additional details about a specific device, select the device from the list.
Chapter 6 Managing ESX/ESXi Systems That Use SAN Storage
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