Problems creating a Datastore

[richwilks]

We're installed a trial version of VMWare ESX server 3.5 and have run the client tool and we're being told to setup a datastore.

When we try to create a datastore we are unable to.

If we try a disk datastore no disks are available to select on the selection screen.

If we try and setup a NFS datastore we get the following error...

Error during the configuration of the host. Please make sure that you have configured networking for VMKernel.

How do we get round either of these?

[VBarak]

about your datastores, you need to create a datastore before you look for it on your VI client. the volume needs to be creates outside vmware and them "import" it in, through configuration->storage->add storage...

As for you NFS datastores the error is pretty clear you need to create your vmkernel vSwitch.

i hope you know what it all means.

good luck

[richwilks]

Sorry. I'm really new to VMWare.

Ideally I want to create the datastore on the servers disk. How would I do that? How do I setup a partition on the server?

[VBarak]

fdisk command in the service console is the right option.

hope your not new to the whole linux experience,

but i feel i must warn you, if you dont have much knowledge be carefull at what you do...you can end up formatting your system disk.

[oreeh]

FYI: this thread has been moved to the Installation and Upgrade forum.

Oliver Reeh[/i]

[VMware Communities User Moderator|http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-2444][/i]

[Dave_Mishchenko]

For your NFS issue you need to setup a vmkernel connection on the virtual switch that has access to your NFS server. See page 125 of this guide - http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35/vi3_35_25_3_server_config.pdf and also page 30 on setting up the vmkernel. Perhaps you could describe how you have your networking setup and we can give you some more advice as to how to set that up the best.

For your local storage, how is your local storage setup and did you basically accept the defaults for the install. Sometimes the install will create a local datastore, but ESX won't recognize it after the install so you'll have to recreate it. Perhaps you could run fdisk -l at the console and then post the output.