Adding NFS Storage to VMware ESX Server 3i 3.5.

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Introduction
Network file system (NFS), the easiest way of sharing files and resources across a network. Advantage of NFS storage is easy to add network partition in ESX Host server without spending additional cost to buy SAN Storage. We can use any existing Linux / AIX/ Solaris /HP UX ( Any Unix flavor ) server to configure NFS Storage. NFS is an service which comes with the bundle pack with Unix flavors, So no additional cost is needed to by NFS Application. NFS originally was introduced by engineers at Sun Microsystems in 1985. Quite ancient, but still good. The standard version of NFS for Linux / ESX is version 3. How NFS works. NFS is the most-known service using remote procedure call (RPC). As an example, let's say a server machine keeps all $HOME files in the directory /home. From your local machine, you would issue the command: #mount -t nfs tiger:/home /home According to this command, mount will try to connect to the rpc.mountd dmon on server tiger via RPC.

NFS Server configuration on Linux / AIX Server ..

Setting up the server will be done in two steps: Setting up the configuration files for NFS, and then starting the NFS services. There are three main configuration files you will need to edit to set up an NFS server: /etc/exports, /etc/hosts.allow, and /etc/hosts.deny . Strictly speaking, you only need to edit /etc/exports to get NFS to work, Step 1. : Setting up the configuration files for NFS 1. Loging to linux / AIX/ Solaris server by using root access rights. 2. Install nfs package on the server . YUM server need to be configured first on RedHat linux server before run this command: # yum -y install nfs* YUM server need to be configured first on RedHat linux server before run this command

3. Run mkdir command to create NFS share directory for ESX NFS Storage: # mkdir /<directory name Run mkdir command to create NFS share directory for ESX NFS Storage

4. Edit the exports file to add the share directory entry. # vim /etc/exports Edit exports file to add the share directory entry and add the following entries as per the project requirements /<directory name > * /<directory name > 192.168.1.25 /<directory name> 192.168.1.25(rw,sync) 192.168.1.26(rw,sync) /<directory name> 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0 /<directory name> *.abc.com /<directory name> drs1.abc,com :wq 5. Service level commands. #chkconfig --level 35 portmap on Run this command to start the portmap service in linux level 3 and 5 #/etc/init.d/portmap restart #chkconfig --level 35 nfs on #/etc/init.d/nfs restart Restart the portmap service in linux Run this command to start the nfs service in linux level 3 and 5 Restart the nfs service in linux data folder can be access by everyone for one particular host access for two hosts/ clients for entire 192.168.1.0 subnet specific domain specific host in example.com domain Save and quit

NOTE:- if i want to use nfs then first start portmap service, because it is the -----service that use 'rpc' which includes NFS & NIS. 6. NFS Server Monitoring commands. #exportfs # showmount -e # tailf /var/log/messages To view view the data It is also used to view the data NFS log file

NFS Share is ready to use for File sharing and Network Storage for ESX Host servers.

Add NFS Storage on ESX Host 3.5 Servers ..

Before connecting NFS Storage to ESX Host server, Check the following certain configuration of ESX Server Network speed should be 1GHZ ESX Host server virtual switch is need to be compatible to handle NFS Traffic. ( if the host is not able to handle the network traffic, than the administrator need to add NFS Virtual switch first in the ESX Host server.) Step 2. 1. Login to your VMware ESX Server 3i 3.5.0 host / VCMS using root / administrator account. Once you logged in, you will see the screen below:

2. Click on the Configuration menu. In Hardware menu on the left, click on Storage. Next, click on Add Storage to proceed:

3. Click on Add Storage .. Button to add additional Storage

4. An Add Storage Wizard window box popup. Select the Network File System radio button and click Next button to proceed: -

5. Type NFS server IP address, NFS shared folder name, and key in your preferred Datastore Name. Click Next

6. You can review the configuration as below before proceeding. Click Finish button to proceed: -

7. You can see the preferred NFS shared listed in the Storage container as below:

NFS Storage partition is ready to use to store and run VM Images.