How can I give ESX 3.5 storage from my NFS?

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cyr0n_k0r

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I have a need to give my ESX host more storage. I want to add a data store to allow my linux VM's on the host to use that data store as local storage.
The why's and such please don't ask. I have narrowed it down to needing a second data store.

Now then, my storage is run on Windows 2003 enterprise servers. They are DAS units and are shared out by folders.
E:\folder1 for example would be \\array1\folder1

Now then, I am trying to get my ESX host to use a shared folder as a data store, but it wants a mount point. I have looked into mount points and it looks like you have to partition an entire new volume to make a mount point, something I am unwilling to do on the arrays. They are already setup exactly how I want them to be setup in terms of logical volumes.

Is there ANY way to get ESX to use a shared folder on the network as a datastore without forcing me to partition a volume just for the ESX?
 
you can setup iscsi targets on the share and use them as a datastore in esx, now win 2003 doesn't have isci target option built in so you would need to use 3rd party software.
 
took a quick look through vmware forums
looks like you can setup windows services for unix which will let you setup nfs shares which then can be used as esx datastore
read up here and here
 
I'm going to bed but will check those out tomorrow. Thanks.

As long as I can give the ESX a share of the 5TB of data on the array without having to reserve or set aside a set amount of storage that is what I am after.

I want ESX to use the share just like any other computer on the network. It reads and writes data and shares the storage with all the other shares folders on the drive.
 
Use the latest UFW service pack (it's 3.something).

copy /etc/passwd and /etc/groups over to the windows server
set up a map between root and an ADMIN user for the share.
share out, with access granted to taht admin user.
win!
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
I'm going to bed but will check those out tomorrow. Thanks.

As long as I can give the ESX a share of the 5TB of data on the array without having to reserve or set aside a set amount of storage that is what I am after.

I want ESX to use the share just like any other computer on the network. It reads and writes data and shares the storage with all the other shares folders on the drive.
Click to expand...

Not the best idea. Limit ESX's share to an individual folder that it stores VMs in. That folder can be anywhere in the NFS share, but don't just give it the root folder :)
 
I do not want the OS stored on the storage arrays. It must be extended storage.
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
I do not want the OS stored on the storage arrays. It must be extended storage.
Click to expand...

then create secondary vmdk disks on the NFS share in their own folder, or connect the virtual machines to the NFS share through the guest, in which case ESX isn't involved at all.
 
Giving the guest access doesn't work either. I have a guy doing linux VM's on the host and I give him shares, but he keeps telling me that "permissions dont translate correctly" when trying to save files to the folder. So he keeps wanting me to present some other solution.

Don't ask me what that means, I am not a linux person at all. I am strictly a windows shop. But the only way he can make his stuff work is running it in a linux environment.
 
windows shares work just fine in linux, create a windows user for his share, create a share and give that user full access.
then on linux tell him to mount the share doing
Code: 
mount -t smbfs -o username=the windows username you created for him, password=password for that user  //server/share /mountpoint
that works just fine I use it all the time in windows shops that need to give share access to linux web servers or other linux machines.

also like mentioned before you can also install windows services for unix and create nfs shares which then can be mounted from the guest linux vms
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
Giving the guest access doesn't work either. I have a guy doing linux VM's on the host and I give him shares, but he keeps telling me that "permissions dont translate correctly" when trying to save files to the folder. So he keeps wanting me to present some other solution.

Don't ask me what that means, I am not a linux person at all. I am strictly a windows shop. But the only way he can make his stuff work is running it in a linux environment.
Click to expand...

Your linux guy doesn't know what he's doing then. ESX has nothing to do with guest NFS mounts. No offense intended...

If he needs more storage, just put secondary VMDKs on the NFS share. that'll be easy and he can't screw it up.
 
From memory, you need to create a vmkernel port for the NFS share and that's that, then it will show up as datastore.

I can't currently check for the exact settings, but I am pretty sure you need a vmkernel network port to connect NFS.
 
Alright, I've added a VMkernel port on one of the ESX hosts and given it an IP on the network.
I'm not sure what to do next though.
 
add storage wizard from the storage panel.

Add the NFS share

then add disks to the VMs on the NFS share.
 
lopoetve said:
add storage wizard from the storage panel.

Add the NFS share

then add disks to the VMs on the NFS share.
Click to expand...
Yeah, its not that easy. Here are screen shots of what I am doing, and the error that I receive.

esx1.gif


esx2.gif
 
Take the first link

For the server, you only add the IP - all it wants is the server name/ip, not the NFS share

For the folder, give it "/folder1" - that's the folder on the server you're mounting.

Go read the manual, please, and search the KB at vmware.com - both will give you some awesome tips and best practices for tuning this with windows (IIRC, the article for WindowsNFS is public). Or, call support. We'll give you a hand and help you figure out how best to do all of this. :)

Merry Christmas!
 
Ok, a "shared folder" in Windows is NOT an NFS share.

What OS is your server running?
 
I mentioned in my first post we are running Windows 2003 Enterprise.
We are not running R2.
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
Same error when using what you told me to put in each box. I am sure it has something to do with how I have the host configured (which is just sharing a folder)

I have looked at this article :
http://vmetc.com/2008/02/19/create-a-nfs-share-for-vm-iso-files-with-windows-2003-server-r2/

However I do not have the option it says I need to add the WindowsNFS services because my server isnt running R2.
Click to expand...

Then it probably won't work.

Get to R2, get Services for Unix 3.X installed, and you'll be able to get this going :)

Windows won't be able to do the user/group mapping otherwise. You might be able to get by with just installing the latest SFU pack installed, but make sure you do the user maps. Did you copy the /etc/passwd and /etc/groups files? Did you map UID0 to a admin user?
 
lopoetve said:
Then it probably won't work.

Get to R2, get Services for Unix 3.X installed, and you'll be able to get this going :)

Windows won't be able to do the user/group mapping otherwise. You might be able to get by with just installing the latest SFU pack installed, but make sure you do the user maps. Did you copy the /etc/passwd and /etc/groups files? Did you map UID0 to a admin user?
Click to expand...
I will work on getting the servers up to R2, however I have no idea what your talking about in the rest of your post.
 
Google

You need that installed.
You need to get the passwd and groups file from one of your ESX hosts to create user maps.
You need to map root to an admin account.
You need to export the share as that admin account from the prior step.

Let me know which step you have trouble with. :)
 
lopoetve said:
Google

You need that installed.
You need to get the passwd and groups file from one of your ESX hosts to create user maps.
You need to map root to an admin account.
You need to export the share as that admin account from the prior step.

Let me know which step you have trouble with. :)
Click to expand...
I've upgraded the servers to R2.
Now just need some help on the username mapping and getting the passwd and such so my ESX host can authenticate.
 
Yes. I've installed the all items under "Microsoft Services for NFS"

I'm not sure if I need "subsystem for UNIX-based Applications" though. Any input?
 
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