6.0

2 Click the Summary tab and, under Resources, double-click the datastore for the virtual machine to open
the Datastore Browser dialog box.
3 Click the virtual machine folder to find the virtual disk file you want to convert. The file has the .vmdk
extension.
4 Right-click the virtual disk file and select Inflate.
The inflated virtual disk occupies the entire datastore space originally provisioned to it.
Using Storage Vendor Providers
When using vendor provider components, the vCenter Server can integrate with external storage, both
block storage and NFS, so that you can gain a better insight into resources and obtain comprehensive and
meaningful storage data.
The vendor provider is a software plug-in developed by a third party through the Storage APIs - Storage
Awareness. The vendor provider component is typically installed on the storage array side and acts as a
server in the vSphere environment. The vCenter Server uses vendor providers to retrieve information about
storage topology, capabilities, and status.
For information about whether your storage supports the vendor provider plug-ins, contact your storage
vendor.
If your storage supports vendor providers, use the Storage Providers menu option in the vSphere Client or
the vSphere Web Client to register and manage each vendor provider component.
Register Vendor Providers in the vSphere Client
To establish a connection between the vCenter Server and a vendor provider, you must register the vendor
provider.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Verify that the vendor provider component is installed on the storage side and obtain its credentials from
your storage administrator.
Procedure
1 Select View > Administration > Storage Providers.
2 Click Add.
3 In the Add Vendor Provider dialog box, type connection information for the vendor provider,
including the name, URL, and credentials.
4 (Optional) To direct the vCenter Server to the vendor provider certificate, select the Use Vendor
Provider Certificate option and specify the certificate's location.
If you do not select this option, the vSphere Client displays a thumbprint of the certificate. You can
check the thumbprint and approve it.
5 Click OK to complete the registration.
The vCenter Server has registered the vendor provider and established a secure SSL connection with it.
vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client
338 VMware, Inc.