Storage

A virtual machine uses a virtual disk to store its operating system, program files, and other data. A virtual disk is a large physical file, or a set of files, that can be copied, moved, archived, and backed up like other files. To store and manipulate virtual disk files, a host requires dedicated storage space. ESX/ESXi supports storage in multiple ways. Hosts that are managed by a vCenter Server system can share storage.

The chapter includes the following topics:

■	Storage Management Objects

■	Introduction to Storage

■	Choosing the Storage API to Use

■	Configuring Disk Partitions

■	Creating and Managing Datastores

■	Managing VMFS Volume Copies (Resignaturing)

■	Managing Diagnostic Partitions

■	Sample Code Reference

Any type of network-attached storage requires complete configuration of networking in the VMkernel to support network-based access to the storage media. The VMkernel requires its own IP address. See vSphere Networks.