VMWARE VSPHERE 6.

7: OPTIMIZE AND SCALE

Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

Document Version: 2020-01-02

Copyright © 2020 Network Development Group, Inc.

www.netdevgroup.com

NETLAB Academy Edition, NETLAB Professional Edition, and NETLAB+ are registered trademarks of Network Development Group, Inc.

VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc.

Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3
Objectives............................................................................................................................ 3
Lab Topology....................................................................................................................... 4
Lab Settings ......................................................................................................................... 5
1 Create a Datastore Cluster That is Enabled for vSphere Storage DRS........................ 6
2 Use Datastore Maintenance Mode to Evacuate a Datastore ................................... 19
3 Run vSphere Storage DRS and Apply Migration Recommendations ........................ 27

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

Introduction

In this lab, you will create a datastore cluster, use datastore maintenance mode to
evacuate a datastore, and run vSphere Storage DRS and apply recommendations.

Objectives

 Create a Datastore Cluster that is enabled for vSphere Storage DRS

 Use Datastore Maintenance Mode to evacuate a Datastore
 Run vSphere Storage DRS and apply migration recommendations

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

Lab Topology

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

Lab Settings

The information in the table below will be needed in order to complete the lab. The
task sections below provide details on the use of this information.

Virtual Machine IP Address Account Password

sa-esxi-01 eth0: 172.20.10.51 root Train1ng$

sa-esxi-02 eth0: 172.20.10.52 root Train1ng$

sa-esxi-03 eth0: 172.20.10.53 root Train1ng$

sa-aio eth0: 172.20.10.10 sysadmin vmware123

sa-student eth0: 172.20.10.80 sysadmin vmware123

sa-vcsa eth0: 172.20.10.94 sysadmin@vclass.local vmware123

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

1 Create a Datastore Cluster That is Enabled for vSphere Storage DRS

In this task, you will create a datastore cluster that is enabled for VMware vSphere
Storage DRS using the Gold and Silver datastores.

1. Launch the sa-student virtual machine to access the graphical login screen.
2. Log in as sysadmin using the password vmware123.

3. Launch the Mozilla Firefox web browser by either clicking on the icon shortcut
found on the bottom toolbar or by navigating to Start Menu > Internet > Firefox
Web Browser.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

4. Notice the homepage is automatically configured to load the URL address of the
VMware vCenter Server Appliance (sa-vcsa virtual machine). Click on the Launch
vSphere Client (HTML5) button to launch the HTML5-based vSphere client.

If you cannot successfully load the VMware Getting Started webpage,

then please wait an additional 3-4 minutes and refresh the page to
continue. During this time, the vCSA is still booting up and requires
extra time to initialize.

5. In the User name text field, type sysadmin@vclass.local and in the Password text
field, type vmware123. Click on Login.

You may ignore the “browser-OS combination” warning message

presented on the VMware vCenter Single Sign-On page and continue
moving forward with the lab.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

6. In the navigator pane, click on the Storage tab and expand the Datacenter inventory
object.

7. Right-click the Datacenter object and select Storage > New Datastore.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

8. In the New Datastore window, leave VMFS selected and click Next.

You may have to click and drag the top of the New Datastore window
upwards to view the Next button.

9. On the Name and device selection step, enter Gold as the datastore name, and
select sa-esxi-01.vclass.local in the Select a host to view its accessible disks/LUNs,
and select the first 5.00 GB LUN available, then click Next.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

10. On the VMFS version step, leave VMFS 6 selected, and click Next.

11. On the Partition configuration step, leave the defaults and click Next.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

12. On the Ready to Complete step, click Finish.

13. Right-click the Datacenter object and select Storage > New Datastore.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

14. In the New Datastore window, leave VMFS selected and click Next.

You may have to click and drag the top of the New Datastore window
upwards to view the Next button.

15. On the Name and device selection step, enter Silver as the datastore name, and
select sa-esxi-01.vclass.local in the Select a host to view its accessible disks/LUNs,
and select the last 5.00 GB LUN available, then click Next.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

16. On the VMFS version step, leave VMFS 6 selected, and click Next.

17. On the Partition configuration step, leave the defaults and click Next.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

18. On the Ready to Complete step, click Finish.

19. Right-click the Datacenter object and select Storage > New Datastore Cluster.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

20. On the New Datastore Cluster window, type Cluster-DRS in the Datastore cluster
name field, leave Turn ON Storage DRS checked, and click Next.

21. On the Storage DRS Automation step, select No Automation (Manual Mode) and
leave the other settings at the default and click Next.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

22. On the Storage DRS Runtime Settings step, keep the default values, and click Next.

23. On the Select Clusters and Hosts step, select Standalone Hosts, and sa-esxi-
01.vclass.local and click Next.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

24. On the Select Datastores step, select the Gold and Silver Datastores and click Next.

25. On the Ready to Complete step, click Finish.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

26. In the left pane, expand Cluster-DRS and verify that the Gold and Silver datastores
appear.

27. Leave vSphere Client open to continue with the next task.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

2 Use Datastore Maintenance Mode to Evacuate a Datastore

In this task, you will place a datastore in maintenance mode and evacuate the datastore
using vSphere Storage DRS.

1. In the vSphere Client left pane, click on the Hosts and Clusters icon, then expand
Datacenter and sa-esxi-01.vclass.local.

2. Right-click on the 2GBVM virtual machine and select Migrate.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

3. On the Migrate step, click Change storage only and click Next.

4. On the Select storage window, select Cluster-DRS from the list and then on the
Select virtual disk format drop-down menu, select Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed. Click
Next.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

5. On the Ready to complete step, click Finish.

6. Right-click on Photon-01 and select Migrate.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

7. On the Migrate step, click Change storage only and click Next.

8. On the Select storage window, select Cluster-DRS and click Next.

9. On the Ready to complete window, click Finish.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

10. On the left pane, click the Storage tab.

11. Expand Cluster-DRS.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

12. Click on the Gold datastore and the VMs tab. Notice that one virtual machine is on
the Gold datastore.

13. Click on the Silver datastore and the VMs tab. Notice that one virtual machine is on
the Silver datastore.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

14. Right-click the Silver datastore and select Maintenance Mode > Enter Maintenance
Mode.

15. In the Enter Maintenance Mode Warning window, read the checked
recommendation to migrate the VM to the Gold datastore. Leave it checked and
click Continue.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

16. Verify that the Silver datastore is in maintenance mode.

17. Select the Gold datastore and click on the VMs tab. Notice that both the 2GBVM and
the Photon-01 virtual machines are on the Gold datastore.

18. Leave vSphere Client open to continue with the next task.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

3 Run vSphere Storage DRS and Apply Migration Recommendations

In this task, you will configure vSphere Storage DRS to maintain a balance in usage
across all datastores in a cluster.

1. In the left pane, right-click the Silver datastore and select Maintenance Mode > Exit
Maintenance Mode.

2. In the left pane, click the Cluster-DRS datastore and click the Configure tab.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

3. Configure vSphere Storage DRS so that recommendations are reported.

a. In the vSphere Storage DRS panel, click Edit.

b. Click the Runtime Settings tab.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

c. Next to the Space threshold, drag the Utilized space slider to the left to set the
threshold to 60% and click OK.

This window cannot be moved, and the resolution will not fully display
the OK button. You should see the top half of the blue OK button.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

4. Refresh the Gold datastore usage report.

a. In the left pane, select the Gold datastore.

b. In the right pane, select the Summary tab.

c. In the right pane, click the Refresh link to the far right.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

5. Refresh the Silver datastore usage report.

a. In the left pane, select the Silver datastore.

b. In the right pane, select the Summary tab.

c. In the right pane, click the Refresh link to the far right.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

6. Run vSphere Storage DRS and review recommendations.

a. In the left pane, select Cluster-DRS.

b. In the right pane, select the Monitor tab.

c. Under Storage DRS, select Recommendations on the left. If the recommendation

does not appear, click Run Storage DRS Now and wait a few minutes for the
recommendation to appear.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

7. Examine the alarm by clicking on the Summary tab.

8. Apply the vSphere Storage DRS recommendation by clicking on the Monitor tab,
Recommendations, then click the Apply Recommendations button.

9. Click on the Summary tab and click Reset To Green for the Gold datastore disk usage
alarm.

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Lab 5: Managing Datastore Clusters

10. Verify there are no alarms present now.

11. Review vSphere Storage DRS history by clicking on the Monitor tab, then History
under the Storage DRS section.

12. The lab is now complete; you may end the reservation.

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