Creating a VMFS datastore
Once we have presented LUNs to an ESXi host for it to be used as a storage container for virtual machine data, it needs to be formatted using VMFS. Creating a VMFS datastore is the process of formatting a LUN and creating a VMFS partition on it. This section of the chapter discusses both the methods involved in creating a new VMFS datastore.
How to do it...
We can create a VMFS datastore using the following two methods:
Using the New Datastore wizard
Using
vmkfstools -C
Make sure you have the NAA ID, LUN ID and the Size of the LUN that you have presented to the ESXi host. This is to make sure that you don't end up using an unintended LUN. Do a rescan on the HBAs for the ESXi to detect the presented LUN.
Using the New Datastore wizard
The following steps will help you create a VMFS volume on a LUN identified using the New Datastore wizard of the vSphere Web Client GUI:
Use the vSphere Web Client to connect to the vCenter Server.
Navigate to Home | Storage.
With the Datacenter...
