Introduction
VMware VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) is a high-performance clustered file system designed specifically for virtual environments. It allows multiple ESXi hosts to read and write to a single storage location concurrently, providing a robust and scalable solution for managing virtual machine storage. VMFS datastores abstract the underlying physical storage resources, presenting a unified storage space that simplifies the management of VM files, including virtual disks, snapshots, and configuration files. This abstraction layer enables features such as vMotion, Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), and High Availability (HA), which are essential for maintaining the performance and resilience of a virtual environment.
VMFS datastores support various advanced features that enhance storage efficiency and flexibility. For instance, they enable thin provisioning, allowing administrators to allocate storage space dynamically based on actual usage rather than pre-allocating the entire storage upfront. This approach optimizes storage utilization and reduces waste.
Types of Datastores
- VMFS Datastores
- NFS Datastores
- vSAN Datastores
- vVols (Virtual Volumes)
VMFS Datastores
Definition
VMware File System (VMFS) datastores are block-based storage devices formatted with the VMFS file system. They are primarily used with SAN (Storage Area Network) or local storage.
Key Features
Concurrency: Supports multiple ESXi hosts accessing the same datastore simultaneously.
Dynamic Expansion: Allows dynamic expansion by adding new extents or extending existing extents.
High Availability: Supports features like vSphere HA and DRS.
NFS Datastores
Network File System (NFS) datastores use file-based storage protocols to connect to shared storage resources over a network.
Key Features
- Simplicity: Easy to set up and manage using standard NFS protocols.
- Flexibility: Supports various storage configurations and can be used with many types of NAS devices.
- Access: Multiple ESXi hosts can access the same NFS datastore simultaneously.
vSAN Datastores
VMware vSAN (Virtual SAN) datastores are created from local storage devices in a vSAN cluster. They provide a hyper-converged infrastructure solution.
Key Features
Integration: Deep integration with vSphere and VMware management tools.
Scalability: Scales out by adding more hosts to the vSAN cluster.
Performance: Optimized for performance with features like flash caching and deduplication.
vVols (Virtual Volumes)
vVols are storage containers that provide VM-centric storage management, allowing direct control over individual VM storage.
Key Features
Granularity: Provides fine-grained control over storage resources at the VM level.
Policy-Based Management: Enables storage policies to be applied directly to VMs. Efficiency: Enhances storage efficiency by eliminating the need for large, monolithic datastores.
Creating a Datastore
Step 1: Access vSphere Client
Open the vSphere Client and log in with administrative credentials.
Step 2: Navigate to Storage
Go to the “Storage” section in the vSphere Client.
Step 3: Add a New Datastore
Click “New Datastore” and choose the type of datastore (VMFS, NFS, vSAN, or vVol). Follow the wizard to specify the necessary details:
For VMFS: Select the disk/LUN, specify the datastore name, and configure the size. For NFS: Provide the NFS server details, export path, and datastore name.
For vSAN: Ensure the vSAN cluster is configured and follow the steps to create the vSAN datastore.
For vVols: Configure the storage provider and create the vVol datastore.
Step 4: Complete the Setup
Review the settings and click “Finish” to create the datastore.
Managing Datastores.
Monitoring Usage
Performance Metrics: Monitor performance metrics such as IOPS, latency, and throughput.
Capacity Utilization: Keep track of used and available space to prevent over-provisioning.
2. Expanding Datastores
VMFS: Add new extents or extend existing ones to increase capacity.
NFS: Expand the underlying storage on the NFS server and adjust the datastore size in vSphere.
3. Maintaining Datastores
Health Checks: Regularly perform health checks to detect and resolve issues. Snapshots and Clones: Use snapshots and clones for backup and recovery operations.
Browsing a Datastore in vSphere Client
Browsing a datastore in the vSphere Client allows you to view and manage the files stored on your VMware datastores. This includes virtual machine files, ISO images, logs, and other files. Here’s how you can browse a datastore using the vSphere Web Client.
Steps to Browse a Datastore
Step 1: Access vSphere Client
Open the vSphere Client. Log in with your administrative credentials.
Step 2: Navigate to Storage From the Home screen, select “Storage” under the Inventories section.
Step 3: Select the Datastore In the left navigation pane, you will see a list of datastores.
Click on the datastore you want to browse.
Step 4: Browse the Datastore Once the datastore is selected, go to the “Datastore Browser” option.
In the vSphere Web Client, this is usually found in the “Monitor” tab under “Related Objects”.
In the vSphere Client (HTML5-based), look for “Files” under the “Monitor” tab. Click on “Datastore Browser” or “Files” to open the datastore browser.
Step 5: Navigate Through the Datastore Browser
The datastore browser will display the file structure of the selected datastore.
You can navigate through folders, upload or download files, create new folders, and perform other file management tasks.
Common tasks in Datastore browser
Uploading Files
To Upload Files: Click the “Upload” button, select “Upload File” or “Upload Folder”, and choose the file or folder you want to upload from your local machine.
2. Downloading Files To Download Files: Right-click on the file or folder you want to download and select “Download”.
3. Creating Folders To Create a Folder: Click the “Create Directory” button, then provide a name for the new folder.
4. Deleting Files or Folders To Delete Files/Folders: Right-click on the file or folder you wish to delete and select “Delete”.
5. Renaming Files or Folders To Rename: Right-click on the file or folder and select “Rename”, then enter the new name.
6. Moving Files or Folders To Move Files/Folders: Drag and drop files or folders to the desired location within the datastore browser.
Example: Uploading an ISO Image
Open Datastore Browser: Follow the steps above to navigate to the desired datastore. Upload ISO: Click the “Upload” button and select “Upload File”.
Select File: Browse to the location of the ISO file on your local machine and select it. Upload: Click “Open” to start the upload. The ISO file will be uploaded to the selected datastore.
Conclusion
Browsing datastores in the vSphere Client is a straightforward process that allows you to manage files and folders within your VMware environment. Whether you need to upload an ISO, download VM logs, or organize your datastore’s file structure, the datastore browser provides an intuitive interface to perform these tasks efficiently.