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Create a VMFS Datastore in the vSphere Client

This is a step by step procedure to create a new VMFS datastore on the ESXi server using vSphere Client, and same guide is applicable for both Local Disk as well as Shared remote storage. While using HTML5 based vSphere client you might find little difference creating a new Datastore. To start I have added disk/LUN to the Esxi server. After adding disk/LUN to the ESXi server, Go to the Configure tab on ESXi server, Select Storage Adapters from navigation pane, Choose the HBA adapter controller from list, where disk/LUN is added, and respectively press Rescan Adapter, Rescan Storage and Refresh to detect newly added disk/LUN.

Vmware vSphere vcenter server vcsa appliance Configure Esxi Storage adapters rescan storage rescan adapter vmhba0 model pvscsi scsi controller Local disk mpx devices not consumed.png

Same information you can see on Storage Devices and status on Datastore column is Not Consumed means it is a raw disk and no VMFS datastore yet created on it.

VMware vSphere esxi add datastore storage adapters storage devices configure mpx.vmhba0 capacity hardware acceleration transport prallel scsi owner NMP 512n vcenter vsphere client rescan VMFS rescan all HBAs lun.png

I don't have any datastore added to ESXi yet, I can confirm that by going to Esxi's Datastores tab, list is empty.

vmware vsphere vcenter server esxi vcsa appliance ova rescan vmfs rescan all hbas datastores storage adapter hba local fcoe permissions actions add storage.png

I confirm the same on Clusters or Esxi server's  Datastores tab that no datastores are added. To Add New Datastore, Click on the ACTIONS button, go to Storage >> New Datastore.

VMware vSPhere esxi datastores vCenter server vcsa new datastore rescan hba storage refresh datastore cluster actions add disks vmdk virtual disks.png

On the new datastore type choose VMFS file system to be used on disk/LUN., Click Next.vmware vsphere esxi vcenter server vcsa new datastore vmfs, nfs, vvol disk lun storage container vmhba host bus adapter storage adapter VMFS virtual disk.png

Select a name and disk/LUN for provisioning the datastore. Because I am using local disk I am selecting the ESXi host where I have added local disk. Click Next.

vmware vsphere esxi vcenter server vcsa vsphere client name device selection datastore local vmware mpx vmhba0 disk location hardware supported capacity vmdk.png

The file system version will be VMFS 6, as this provide important features and enables advanced format (512e) and automatic space reclamation support, Press Next.

VMware vsphere new datastore VMFS version vmfs 6 advanced format (512e) and automatic space reclaimation support gpt 2 tb lun support vsphere client vcsa vcenter server appliance.png

This is last step of Partition configuration, I am using all available partitions, Size can be modified under Datastore Size. Block size is default 1 MB, Space reclamation Granularity is 1 MB and Space Reclamation Priority default Low: Deleted or unmpped blocks are reclaimed on the LUN at Low priority. (Here skyblue color block indicate empty space on the disk), Click Next, In the last Review your settings and press Finish.

Vmware vSPhere esxi vcenter server VMFS partition configuration datastore size block size 1MB Space Reclamation Granularity Space reclamation priority umapp blocks.png

In the last either go to Cluster's or ESXi's Datastores tab and verify new datastore is added successfully and available for virtual machines or other data ie ISO.

VMware vSPhere esxi vcenter server vcsa Datastores add new datastore type VMFS 6 Capacity cluster Recent tasks vSphere Client storage adapter hba0 vmhba.png

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