Configure NFS Storage on the VMware vCenter Server Appliance

This post highlights some best practices on the management of the vCSA log and core files. VMware recommends that these files are stored on an NFS share external to the vCSA due to the possibility of the default log and core locations filling up.

When this happens, vCenter services will be impacted.

For more information about the vCSA, please see the resources listed here https://vmwire.com/vmware-vcenter-server-virtual-appliance-vcsa/.

There may be trouble ahead

This screenshot shows what happens when this is not done, the partitions for /storage/core will fill up over time and will impact the availability of vCenter Server.

Figure 1 – Local core storage full!

Configuring NFS storage on the vCSA

You can add the NFS shares for the log and core files by logging into the VMware Studio management interface of the vCSA, normally https://<vcsa>:5480.

The default username and password is root | vmware.

Click on the vCenter Server tab, and then click on Storage.

Figure 2 – Configuring NFS storage on the vCSA

Using the correct syntax for the NFS storage

The correct syntax for adding the storage is

<NFS_Server>:<NFS_Export>

So if my NFS_Server is 192.168.200.21 and my NFS_Export is /mnt/vg01/vcsa_core/vcsa_core/, I would enter the following in the box for NFS share for core files:

192.168.200.21:/mnt/vg01/vcsa_core/vcsa_core/

Make sure that the NFS export on the NFS Server is configured with a UID/GID mapping of no_root_squash. For example, use the command on the NFS server:

exportfs -vo rw,no_root_squash,sync :/mnt/vg01/vcsa_core/vcsa_core/

Once done, click on Test Settings to verify that the vCSA can successfully store files to the specified NFS shares, then click on Save Settings, then restart the vCSA.

Browsing to the NFS storage

You can also see what is created in the NFS share if you listed the contents of the core files share.

Figure 3 – Core logs

You can also see what is created in the NFS share if you listed the contents of the log files share. The screenshots below show the directory structure on the NFS server. On the vCSA the directories are mounted at /storage.

Figure 4 – All other Logs