How To Share Datastore Between Esxi Hosts?

When it comes to sharing a datastore between ESXi hosts, the need for efficient data management and collaboration becomes paramount. It is essential to establish a seamless and reliable method of distributing data across multiple hosts, ensuring optimal performance and accessibility. In this article, we will explore the key strategies and techniques for successfully sharing a datastore between ESXi hosts, allowing for enhanced data sharing and collaboration within a virtualized environment.

One of the most significant aspects of sharing a datastore between ESXi hosts is the utilization of shared storage technologies. Whether through iSCSI, Fibre Channel, or NFS, shared storage enables multiple hosts to access the same datastore simultaneously. This not only improves data availability but also enhances the efficiency of storage management, as resources can be shared and allocated across hosts more effectively. By implementing shared storage, organizations can achieve higher levels of scalability, reliability, and performance in their virtualized environment, ultimately maximizing the potential of their ESXi hosts.

Introduction to Sharing Datastore Between Esxi Hosts

When it comes to managing and organizing data in a virtualized environment, such as VMware ESXi hosts, one important consideration is how to share datastore between ESXi hosts. A datastore is essentially a centralized storage location where virtual machines and other data can be stored. By sharing the datastore, multiple ESXi hosts can access the same storage pool, allowing for efficient resource utilization and flexibility in workload distribution.

Sharing datastores between ESXi hosts enables various benefits, including enhanced data redundancy, improved performance, simplified management, and the ability to migrate virtual machines seamlessly across different hosts. In this article, we will explore different methods and techniques to share datastore between ESXi hosts, along with their advantages and considerations.

Before diving into the details, it’s important to note that sharing datastores between ESXi hosts requires the use of shared storage solutions such as Fibre Channel (FC), iSCSI, Network File System (NFS), or Virtual Volumes (VVols). These shared storage technologies allow multiple hosts to access the same datastore simultaneously, ensuring data consistency and availability.

1. Sharing Datastore Through Fibre Channel (FC)

Fibre Channel (FC) is a high-speed, low-latency storage protocol commonly used in enterprise storage networks. It enables sharing of datastores between ESXi hosts by connecting them to a shared storage array via Fibre Channel switches. The shared storage array acts as a central repository for the virtual machines and data.

To share a datastore through Fibre Channel, the following steps are typically involved:

• Configure the Fibre Channel storage array
• Connect the ESXi hosts to the Fibre Channel switches
• Create and present LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers) to the ESXi hosts
• Scan and claim the new Fibre Channel devices on each ESXi host
• Create a new datastore using the Fibre Channel devices

Once the datastore is created, it can be accessed and shared by multiple ESXi hosts simultaneously. This allows for efficient resource utilization, high availability, and the ability to migrate virtual machines across different hosts seamlessly.

Advantages of Sharing Datastore Through Fibre Channel (FC)

Sharing a datastore through Fibre Channel offers several advantages for managing ESXi hosts:

• High Performance: Fibre Channel provides high-speed, low-latency connectivity, resulting in excellent performance for data-intensive workloads.
• Data Redundancy: By sharing a datastore, data can be replicated and distributed across multiple storage devices, ensuring data redundancy and fault tolerance.
• Scalability: Fibre Channel supports large-scale storage configurations, allowing for the expansion of datastores as the storage needs grow.
• Advanced Storage Features: Fibre Channel storage arrays often offer advanced features such as storage virtualization, snapshotting, and replication, enhancing data management capabilities.

2. Sharing Datastore Through iSCSI

iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface) is another popular storage protocol that enables the sharing of datastores between ESXi hosts. Unlike Fibre Channel, which requires specialized hardware (such as Fibre Channel switches), iSCSI uses standard Ethernet networks to connect the ESXi hosts to the shared storage devices.

To share a datastore through iSCSI, the following steps are typically involved:

• Configure the iSCSI storage array
• Discover and connect to the iSCSI targets on each ESXi host
• Create and format the iSCSI datastore

Once the iSCSI datastore is created, multiple ESXi hosts can access it simultaneously, allowing for workload distribution, data redundancy, and simplified management.

Advantages of Sharing Datastore Through iSCSI

The use of iSCSI for sharing datastores offers several benefits:

• Cost-Effectiveness: iSCSI leverages existing Ethernet networks, eliminating the need for dedicated Fibre Channel infrastructure and reducing costs.
• Flexibility: iSCSI is compatible with a wide range of storage systems, providing flexibility in choosing the storage solution that best fits the organization’s needs.
• Scalability: iSCSI supports the scaling of storage systems, allowing for the addition of more capacity as the storage requirements grow.
• Compatibility: Since iSCSI uses TCP/IP networking, it can be easily integrated into existing network infrastructures.

3. Sharing Datastore Through Network File System (NFS)

Network File System (NFS) is a distributed file-sharing protocol that allows multiple hosts to access and share files over a network. In the context of ESXi hosts, NFS can be used to share datastores.

To share a datastore through NFS, the following steps are typically involved:

• Create an NFS share on the file server or storage appliance
• Add the NFS share to the ESXi hosts
• Create and format the NFS datastore on each ESXi host

Once the NFS datastore is set up, it can be accessed and shared by multiple ESXi hosts, allowing for efficient resource utilization and flexibility.

Advantages of Sharing Datastore Through Network File System (NFS)

Sharing a datastore through NFS offers several advantages:

• Simplicity: NFS provides a simple and straightforward method for sharing datastores between ESXi hosts, as it is based on traditional file-sharing concepts.
• Flexibility: NFS is compatible with a wide range of storage systems, providing flexibility in choosing the storage solution that best fits the organization’s needs.
• Scalability: NFS supports the scaling of storage systems, allowing for the addition of more capacity as the storage requirements grow.
• High Availability: NFS can leverage features such as file locking and client failover to ensure data availability and minimize downtime.

Conclusion

Sharing a datastore between ESXi hosts is crucial for efficient resource utilization, workload distribution, and seamless virtual machine migration. Using technologies such as Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and Network File System (NFS), organizations can create shared storage pools accessible by multiple hosts. Each method has its advantages and considerations, and choosing the most suitable approach depends on factors such as performance requirements, cost-effectiveness, and scalability.

By leveraging shared datastores, ESXi hosts can achieve improved data redundancy, enhanced performance, simplified management, and increased flexibility. These benefits contribute to a more efficient and reliable virtualized environment, enabling organizations to meet the demands of modern IT infrastructures.

References

For more information on sharing datastores between ESXi hosts, you can visit the following resources:

VMware ESXi: Official website for VMware ESXi

To share a datastore between ESXi hosts, you need to set up a shared storage solution.

One way to do this is by using a storage area network (SAN) or network-attached storage (NAS). These solutions allow the datastore to be accessible by multiple hosts, enabling data sharing and resource pooling.