CHAPTER 6Storage

In this chapter, we will look at the three primary ESX 4.x storage options: storage area network (SAN), Internet SCSI (iSCSI), and network-attached storage (NAS). Additionally, we will take a look at VMware’s file system (VMFS) and explain how to format and extend a VMFS volume.

By their nature, SAN and iSCSI systems are very proprietary. Here, I will not go into the details of configuring HP, IBM, or EMC storage. Rather, I will explain and demonstrate how VMware can leverage this storage.

What’s New in VMware Storage?

• Improved user interface for multipathing

• Improved storage views in vCenter

• A built-in Increase option to expand a VMFS volume size to take up available free space

• Pluggable Storage Architecture (PSA) support, ...

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