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.
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.
I don't have any datastore added to ESXi yet, I can confirm that by going to Esxi's Datastores tab, list is empty.
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.
On the new datastore type choose VMFS file system to be used on disk/LUN., Click Next.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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