This tutorial will guide you through the process of setting up NFS (Network File System) for use with VMware vSphere 8.0.

Prerequisites

• Ensure you have administrative access to the vSphere environment.
• Have a functioning NFS server configured and running.
• Ensure that your ESXi hosts can communicate with the NFS server.

Step 1: Configure NFS Server

1. Install NFS on your Linux server (if not already installed):
   • For Ubuntu:

     sudo apt update
     sudo apt install nfs-kernel-server
     

     
     
   • For CentOS:

     sudo yum install nfs-utils
     

     
     
2. Create a directory to be shared:
   

   mkdir /nfs_share
   

   
   
3. Set permissions for the shared directory:
   

   chmod 777 /nfs_share
   

   
   
4. Edit the exports file to configure the NFS share:
   

   sudo nano /etc/exports
   

   
   

   Add the following line to share the directory with your ESXi hosts (replace ESXi_IP with the actual IP address of your ESXi host):

   
   

   /nfs_share ESXi_IP(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)
   

   
   
5. Export the shared directory:
   

   sudo exportfs -a
   

   
   
6. Start the NFS service:
   

   sudo systemctl start nfs-kernel-server
   

   
   

   Enable it to start at boot:

   
   

   sudo systemctl enable nfs-kernel-server
   

   
   

Step 2: Configure NFS in vSphere

1. Log in to the vSphere Client.
2. Select the ESXi host where you want to add the NFS datastore.
3. Navigate to Storage:
   • Click on Storage in the left menu panel.
4. Add New Datastore:
   • Click on Datastore > New Datastore.
5. Select NFS Datastore:
   • In the wizard, choose NFS as the type of datastore and click Next.
6. Enter NFS Share Details:
   • Name: Enter a name for the datastore.
   • NFS Server: Enter the IP address or the hostname of your NFS server.
   • NFS Share: Enter the path to the NFS share you created, for example: /nfs_share.
7. Select NFS Version:
   • Choose the appropriate NFS version (NFS 3 or NFS 4.1).
8. Finish the Configuration:
   • Review your settings and click Finish to create the NFS datastore.

Step 3: Verify NFS Datastore

1. Check if the datastore is listed:
   • Go back to the Storage view in the vSphere Client.
2. Test connectivity:
   • You can test access by trying to create a VM or upload a file to the NFS datastore.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured NFS on vSphere 8.0. This NFS datastore can now be utilized for VM storage and other data requirements.