VMware help

[4ycr]

Went to a new client yesterday his till runs from a Server 2003. The server runs on top of VMware, I think it is ESXi. I had to download VSphere client to connect to it.

The problem I was called out to was no space as whoever set it up with a c drive of 55GB and a storage space of 185GB.

When looking at the setup through VSphere it says total disk space available to the server as 445GB with 240GB used but I could not see the extra space on the servers disk manager of Esus's partition manager.

I know the basics of VMware but this has me stumbled that if it has given the resources but the server can't see them. I would like to increase the space available to the server and then enlarge the c drive to something more suitable.

I did mange to clear some things and move some other files to the storage partition to free up almost 4GB so they are up and running just now.

 

[Dave1320]

Went to a new client yesterday his till runs from a Server 2003. The server runs on top of VMware, I think it is ESXi. I had to download VSphere client to connect to it.

The problem I was called out to was no space as whoever set it up with a c drive of 55GB and a storage space of 185GB.

When looking at the setup through VSphere it says total disk space available to the server as 445GB with 240GB used but I could not see the extra space on the servers disk manager of Esus's partition manager.

I know the basics of VMware but this has me stumbled that if it has given the resources but the server can't see them. I would like to increase the space available to the server and then enlarge the c drive to something more suitable.

I did mange to clear some things and move some other files to the storage partition to free up almost 4GB so they are up and running just now.

In Vsphere: increase the disk size from 55gb to whatever you'd like. (Right click the vm and look for setting). Power the vm off first.

In server: go to disk management, rescan disks, and increase volume into the new unallocated space.

 

[4ycr]

In Vsphere: increase the disk size from 55gb to whatever you'd like. (Right click the vm and look for setting). Power the vm off first.

In server: go to disk management, rescan disks, and increase volume into the new unallocated space.

It was setup as one big VM drive and then partitioned using the server but I will try rescanning the drive next time I am in.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Ouch, that's too bad....that the prior tech set it up that way. Servers C and D (or whatever) volumes should never share the same spindle. Not only leads to poor performance, but one of the many other disadvantages is seen here. Even if you edit the disk in ESX to increase it, you run into the issue of not being able to extend the system volume due to another partition being adjacent to it...contiguous volume. So you're unable to use the proper native tools such as diskpart /extend to quickly and confidently extend the system volume. You have to turn to one of those 3rd party partition managers (a server edition..thus 10x times the cost)...that supports taking unused free space from the far right side of the volume and applying it to non-adjacent partitions, and go through the nailbiting experience of applying that action and crossing your fingers for the reboot.

 

[4ycr]

Yes the Esus tool was $140 while the desktop was about $20 but my problem is ESXi reports 450GB as available but I can't see it from the server or how to configure it for the server to see it.. Any ideas?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Whatever disk you specify for size presented to the guest server is the literal size of the hard drive that the guest will see. I am guessing by the description above, that you are presenting 445 gigs to your guest.
See my screenie below...I am presenting a 127 gig hard drive to the Windows servers C drive. So Windows server will see 127 gigs...I can partition that within Windows however I want..taking 60 or 80 or 100 or all 127 gigs worth of it.

 

[4ycr]

Thanks