6.5.1
Table Of Contents
- vSphere Storage
- Contents
- About vSphere Storage
- Updated Information
- Introduction to Storage
- Getting Started with a Traditional Storage Model
- Overview of Using ESXi with a SAN
- Using ESXi with Fibre Channel SAN
- Configuring Fibre Channel Storage
- Configuring Fibre Channel over Ethernet
- Booting ESXi from Fibre Channel SAN
- Booting ESXi with Software FCoE
- Best Practices for Fibre Channel Storage
- Using ESXi with iSCSI SAN
- Configuring iSCSI Adapters and Storage
- ESXi iSCSI SAN Requirements
- ESXi iSCSI SAN Restrictions
- Setting LUN Allocations for iSCSI
- Network Configuration and Authentication
- Set Up Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters
- About Dependent Hardware iSCSI Adapters
- About the Software iSCSI Adapter
- Modify General Properties for iSCSI Adapters
- Setting Up iSCSI Network
- Using Jumbo Frames with iSCSI
- Configuring Discovery Addresses for iSCSI Adapters
- Configuring CHAP Parameters for iSCSI Adapters
- Configuring Advanced Parameters for iSCSI
- iSCSI Session Management
- Booting from iSCSI SAN
- Best Practices for iSCSI Storage
- Managing Storage Devices
- Storage Device Characteristics
- Understanding Storage Device Naming
- Storage Rescan Operations
- Identifying Device Connectivity Problems
- Edit Configuration File Parameters
- Enable or Disable the Locator LED on Storage Devices
- Erase Storage Devices
- Working with Flash Devices
- About VMware vSphere Flash Read Cache
- Working with Datastores
- Types of Datastores
- Understanding VMFS Datastores
- Understanding Network File System Datastores
- Creating Datastores
- Managing Duplicate VMFS Datastores
- Increasing VMFS Datastore Capacity
- Administrative Operations for Datastores
- Set Up Dynamic Disk Mirroring
- Collecting Diagnostic Information for ESXi Hosts on a Storage Device
- Checking Metadata Consistency with VOMA
- Configuring VMFS Pointer Block Cache
- Understanding Multipathing and Failover
- Raw Device Mapping
- Software-Defined Storage and Storage Policy Based Management
- About Storage Policy Based Management
- Virtual Machine Storage Policies
- Working with Virtual Machine Storage Policies
- Populating the VM Storage Policies Interface
- Default Storage Policies
- Creating and Managing VM Storage Policies
- Storage Policies and Virtual Machines
- Assign Storage Policies to Virtual Machines
- Change Storage Policy Assignment for Virtual Machine Files and Disks
- Monitor Storage Compliance for Virtual Machines
- Check Compliance for a VM Storage Policy
- Find Compatible Storage Resource for Noncompliant Virtual Machine
- Reapply Virtual Machine Storage Policy
- Using Storage Providers
- Working with Virtual Volumes
- About Virtual Volumes
- Virtual Volumes Concepts
- Virtual Volumes and Storage Protocols
- Virtual Volumes Architecture
- Virtual Volumes and VMware Certificate Authority
- Snapshots and Virtual Volumes
- Before You Enable Virtual Volumes
- Configure Virtual Volumes
- Provision Virtual Machines on Virtual Volumes Datastores
- Virtual Volumes and Replication
- Best Practices for Working with vSphere Virtual Volumes
- Filtering Virtual Machine I/O
- Storage Hardware Acceleration
- Hardware Acceleration Benefits
- Hardware Acceleration Requirements
- Hardware Acceleration Support Status
- Hardware Acceleration for Block Storage Devices
- Hardware Acceleration on NAS Devices
- Hardware Acceleration Considerations
- Thin Provisioning and Space Reclamation
- Using vmkfstools
- vmkfstools Command Syntax
- The vmkfstools Command Options
- -v Suboption
- File System Options
- Virtual Disk Options
- Supported Disk Formats
- Creating a Virtual Disk
- Initializing a Virtual Disk
- Inflating a Thin Virtual Disk
- Converting a Zeroedthick Virtual Disk to an Eagerzeroedthick Disk
- Removing Zeroed Blocks
- Deleting a Virtual Disk
- Renaming a Virtual Disk
- Cloning or Converting a Virtual Disk or RDM
- Extending a Virtual Disk
- Upgrading Virtual Disks
- Creating a Virtual Compatibility Mode Raw Device Mapping
- Creating a Physical Compatibility Mode Raw Device Mapping
- Listing Attributes of an RDM
- Displaying Virtual Disk Geometry
- Checking and Repairing Virtual Disks
- Checking Disk Chain for Consistency
- Storage Device Options
When you work with I/O filters, the following considerations apply:
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vCenter Server uses ESX Agent Manager (EAM) to install and uninstall I/O filters. As an
administrator, never invoke EAM APIs directly for EAM agencies that are created or used by
vCenter Server. All operations related to I/O filters must go through VIM APIs. If you accidentally
modify an EAM agency that was created by vCenter Server, you must revert the changes. If you
accidentally destroy an EAM agency that is used by I/O filters, you must call
Vim.IoFilterManager#uninstallIoFilter to uninstall the affected I/O filters. After uninstalling,
perform a fresh reinstall.
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When a new host joins the cluster that has I/O filters, the filters installed on the cluster are deployed
on the host. vCenter Server registers the I/O filter storage provider for the host. Any cluster changes
become visible in the VM Storage Policies interface of the vSphere Web Client.
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When you move a host out of a cluster or remove it from vCenter Server, the I/O filters are uninstalled
from the host. vCenter Server unregisters the I/O filter storage provider.
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If you use a stateless ESXi host, it might lose its I/O filter VIBs during a reboot. vCenter Server
checks the bundles installed on the host after it reboots, and pushes the I/O filter VIBs to the host if
necessary.
Uninstall I/O Filters from a Cluster
You can uninstall I/O filters deployed in an ESXi host cluster.
Prerequisites
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Required privileges: Host.Config.Patch.
Procedure
1 Uninstall the I/O filter by running the installer that your vendor provides.
During uninstallation, vSphere ESX Agent Manager automatically places the hosts into maintenance
mode.
If the uninstallation is successful, the filter and any related components are removed from the hosts.
2 Verify that the I/O filter components are properly uninstalled from your ESXi hosts:
esxcli --server=server_name software vib list
The uninstalled filter no longer appears on the list.
Upgrade I/O Filters in a Cluster
Use installers provided by I/O filter vendors to upgrade I/O filters deployed in an ESXi host cluster.
An upgrade consists of uninstalling the old filter components and replacing them with the new filter
components. To determine whether an installation is an upgrade, vCenter Server checks the names and
versions of existing filters. If the existing filter names match the names of the new filters but have different
versions, the installation is considered an upgrade.
vSphere Storage
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