6.0

Depending on the type of storage you use, datastores can be backed by the following file system formats:
n
Virtual Machine File System (VMFS)
n
Network File System (NFS)
After creating datastores, you can organize them in different ways. For example, you can group them into
folders according to business practices. This allows you to assign the same permissions and alarms on the
datastores in the group at one time.
You can also add datastores to datastore clusters. A datastore cluster is a collection of datastores with shared
resources and a shared management interface. When you create a datastore cluster, you can use Storage
DRS to manage storage resources. For information about datastore clusters, see the vSphere Resource
Management documentation.
Create a VMFS Datastore in the vSphere Client
VMFS datastores serve as repositories for virtual machines. You can set up VMFS datastores on any SCSI-
based storage devices that the host discovers, including Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and local storage devices.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Before creating datastores, you must install and configure any adapters that your storage requires. Rescan
the adapters to discover newly added storage devices.
Procedure
1 Log in to the vSphere Client and select the host from the Inventory panel.
2 Click the Configuration tab and click Storage in the Hardware panel.
3 Click Datastores and click Add Storage.
4 Select the Disk/LUN storage type and click Next.
5 Select a device to use for your datastore and click Next.
IMPORTANT Select the device that does not have a datastore name displayed in the VMFS Label column.
If a name is present, the device contains a copy of an existing VMFS datastore.
6 Select the File System Version and click Next.
IMPORTANT If you select VMFS3 you must select the maximum file size under Formatting.
7 If the disk is not blank, review the current disk layout in the top panel of the Current Disk Layout page
and select a configuration option from the bottom panel.
Option Description
Use all available partitions
Dedicates the entire disk to a single VMFS datastore. If you select this
option, all file systems and data currently stored on this device are
destroyed.
Use free space
Deploys a VMFS datastore in the remaining free space of the disk.
If the disk you are formatting is blank, the Current Disk Layout page presents the entire disk space for
storage configuration.
8 Click Next.
9 On the Properties page, type a datastore name and click Next.
Chapter 24 Managing Storage in the vSphere Client
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