Volume provisioning in SAN Storage (Storage Area Network (SAN)) involves creating and allocating storage volumes to hosts (servers) for use in block-level storage. This process ensures that applications can access storage efficiently while optimizing performance and capacity management.
Thick Provisioning
- A fixed amount of storage is allocated upfront.
- Ensures performance consistency but may lead to wasted space if unused.
- Best for workloads requiring predictable performance.
Thin Provisioning
- Storage is allocated dynamically as data is written.
- More efficient use of available storage but may cause over-provisioning risks.
- Useful for virtualized environments and cloud storage.
Step 1: Create a Storage Volume on the SAN
- Log in to the SAN storage management interface.
- Navigate to the Storage Pool or RAID Group where you want to create the volume.
- Click Create Volume / LUN (Logical Unit Number).
- Specify:
- Volume Name
- Size (GB/TB)
- Provisioning Type (Thick/Thin)
- RAID Level (if applicable)
- Performance Tier (SSD, SAS, SATA)
Step 2: Configure Access (LUN Masking & Zoning)
- LUN Masking: Restrict access to the LUN for specific hosts.
- Zoning (Fibre Channel SAN only):
- Configure zones on the SAN switch to allow only authorized hosts to access storage.
- Ensure proper WWPN (World Wide Port Name) mappings.
Step 3: Map LUN to Hosts (Storage Allocation)
- Assign the volume (LUN) to the server using:
- iSCSI Initiator (iSCSI-based SANs)
- FC WWPN (Fibre Channel SANs)
- NVMe-oF (NVMe over Fabric-based SANs)
Step 4: Configure the Host (Operating System Level)
Windows Server
To scanning for new disks and creating a new drive (partition) in Windows using the built-in Disk Management tool.
Phase 1: Open Disk Management
This is the control center for all storage devices in Windows.
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Right-click on the Start button (Windows icon).
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Select Disk Management from the menu.
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Alternative: Press
Windows Key + R, typediskmgmt.msc, and hit Enter.
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Phase 2: Scan and Initialize the Disk
If you just plugged in a new hard drive or SSD and don’t see it in “This PC,” you need to make Windows recognize it.
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Rescan Disks:
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Click the Action tab in the top menu bar.
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Select Rescan Disks. This forces Windows to look for any newly attached storage hardware.
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Initialize Disk (If prompted):
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If the disk is brand new, a pop-up usually appears asking you to “Initialize Disk.”
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Select Partition Style:
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GPT (GUID Partition Table): Recommended for modern drives and disks larger than 2TB.
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MBR (Master Boot Record): Only for older legacy systems or small drives (under 2TB).
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Click OK.
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Phase 3: Create the Drive (New Volume)
Once the disk is recognized, it will likely appear as “Unallocated” space (a black bar) at the bottom of the window.
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Right-click the area labeled Unallocated.
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Select New Simple Volume.
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The Wizard:
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Specify Volume Size: Leave this at the maximum default number to use the whole drive, or reduce it if you want to create multiple partitions. Click Next.
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Assign Drive Letter: Choose a letter (like
D:,E:, etc.) from the dropdown. Click Next. -
Format Partition:
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File System: Choose NTFS (standard for Windows).
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Allocation Unit Size: Leave as “Default”.
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Volume Label: Name your drive (e.g., “Data”, “Games”, “Backups”).
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Perform a quick format: Ensure this box is checked.
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Click Next, then Finish.
Linux Server
- Scan for new storage
- (Linux: rescan-scsi-bus.sh or echo “- – -” > /sys/class/scsi_host/hostX/scan)
- Partition and format the volume
- fdisk /dev/sdX # For MBR partitioning
- parted /dev/sdX # For GPT partitioning
- ext4 /dev/sdX1 # Format with ext4
- Mount the volume
- mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt/data
VMware Vcenter
To scan for storage, create a VMFS datastore, and then assign it to a virtual machine in vCenter, follow these steps.
1. Rescan Storage Adapters
Before vCenter can see a new LUN (Logical Unit Number) from your SAN, you must perform a rescan.
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Log in to the vSphere Client.
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Navigate to Hosts and Clusters and select the specific ESXi host or the entire Cluster.
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Right-click the host/cluster and select Storage > Rescan Storage.
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Ensure both Scan for new Storage Devices and Scan for new VMFS Volumes are checked, then click OK.
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Monitor the Recent Tasks pane; once finished, the host will recognize the new LUN.
2. Create a New VMFS Datastore
Once the LUN is discovered, you can format it as a datastore.
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Right-click the host, cluster, or datacenter and select Storage > New Datastore.
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Select VMFS as the datastore type and click Next.
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Name and Device Selection:
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Provide a name for the datastore (e.g.,
Prod_Data_01). -
Select the LUN you just scanned from the list.
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VMFS Version: Select VMFS 6 (recommended for modern environments for features like automatic space reclamation).
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Partition Configuration: Usually, you will select Use all available partitions to utilize the full LUN capacity.
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Review the summary and click Finish.
3. Assign Storage to a Virtual Machine
Now that the datastore is ready, you can add a virtual disk from it to your VM.
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Right-click the target Virtual Machine and select Edit Settings.
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Click Add New Device (top right) and select Hard Disk.
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Expand the New Hard Disk section:
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Under Location, click Browse.
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Select the newly created datastore.
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Set the desired Capacity (size) for the disk.
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Click OK.
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Final Step (Inside the VM): Log into the Guest OS (Windows/Linux) and use Disk Management or
fdiskto initialize, partition, and format the new drive so it appears as a usable letter or mount point.
Step 5: Verify & Monitor
- Check storage allocation using:
lsblk(Linux)diskmgmt.msc(Windows)- Storage management tools (e.g., NetApp OnCommand, Dell Unisphere, HPE 3PAR SSMC)
- Use Thin Provisioning for efficient capacity management.
- Enable Multipathing (MPIO) to avoid single points of failure.
- Use RAID levels to ensure redundancy and performance.
- Regularly monitor storage with tools like Nagios, Grafana, or vendor-specific software