NFS Support in VMware vSphere 8.0 and Beyond

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article confirms that NFS (Network File System) continues to be supported in VMware's vSphere products, including vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) and ESXi, as of vSphere 8.0. The article highlights recent enhancements and best practices for using NFS storage in VMware environments.

Environment

 

• VMware vSphere 8.0
• VMware ESXi 8.0
• vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) 8.0
• NFS version 3 and version 4.1

 

Cause

There have been inquiries and uncertainties regarding the continued support and enhancements of NFS in VMware vSphere, especially with the transition of VMware to Broadcom. This article aims to clarify the support status and provide information on recent updates 

Resolution

NFS remains a supported and viable option for storage in VMware vSphere environments. The following steps and best practices outline the setup and optimization of NFS in vSphere 8.0:

1. Provisioning NFS Datastores:

• Create a VMkernel NIC: Ensure you have a virtual switch configured with a VMkernel NIC for IP-based storage.
• Configure the NFS Target: The NFS storage target should export a mount point accessible to the ESXi hosts.
• Add NFS Datastore: Use the vSphere Client or ESXCLI to add the NFS datastore to the ESXi host.
  esxcli storage nfs add -H <NFS-Server-IP> -s /exported/path -v <Datastore-Name>

2. Enhancements in vSphere 8.0 Update 1:

• Multi-Connections (nConnect): Introduced in vSphere 8.0 Update 1, nConnect allows multiple TCP connections per NFS mount, improving performance. To adjust the number of connections:
  esxcli storage nfs param set -v <Datastore-Name> -c <Number-of-Connections>
• VMkernel Binding for NFS: Enhances performance by allowing specific VMkernel NICs to handle NFS traffic.

3. NFS Version Support:

• NFS v3: Supported since early versions of ESXi, but limited to single active connection per mount.
• NFS v4.1: Supports multipathing, allowing multiple connections and better load balancing. Ensure your NFS target supports these features.

Additional Information

 

• For more detailed configuration steps, refer to the official VMware documentation and your storage vendor's best practices.
• Ensure network settings such as Jumbo Frames and proper VMkernel NIC configurations are optimized for NFS traffic.
  
  
• References:
  • VMware Set Up NFS Storage Environment
  • VMware Create an NFS Datastore
  • VMware Preparing the Transfer Server Storage for Your VMware Cloud Director Appliance
  • VMware Best Practices for Running NFS with VMware vSphere​ (The Cloud Platform Tech Zone)​
  • NFS Multi-Connections in vSphere 8.0 Update 1​ (WilliamLam.com)​
  • Synology NFS VAAI Plug-in for vSphere 8.0​ (WilliamLam.com)​
• Potential Issues:
  • Be aware of compatibility issues with third-party NFS plugins, especially when upgrading ESXi versions. Customers should consult with their third-party plugin or NFS storage array vendor for any questions or problems related to third-party NFS plugins.