Let’s see the steps to remove inaccessible NFS datastore from vCenter in this article. Bobcares, as a part of our Server Management Service offers solutions to every query that comes our way.

Remove inaccessible NFS datastore from vCenter | An Easy Way

A Network File System (NFS) datastore that is no longer accessible or reachable by the vCenter Server or ESXi hosts is the “inaccessible NFS datastore” in vCenter. This may happen for a number of reasons, including network problems, incorrect setup, or an unavailable NFS server.

Steps to remove inaccessible NFS datastore from vCenter

The general steps to remove an unavailable NFS datastore from vCenter are as follows:

1. Firstly, we need to find the unavailable NFS datastore by going to the “Storage” or “Datastores” view in the vCenter Server and looking for the inaccessible NFS datastore. It typically has the designations “inactive” or “inaccessible” and may show an error or warning message.

2. Then check the NFS datastore status. It’s critical to confirm that the datastore is in fact unreachable before removing it. Also, verify the NFS server’s connectivity and availability from the ESXi or vCenter Server hosts. We must also make sure that the NFS datastore is not now available or accessible.

3. Before deleting the NFS datastore from vCenter, it must first be unmounted from any ESXi hosts where it may still be mounted. Remove the association on each host where the datastore is mounted.

In order to do so, we must pick the host in the vSphere Web Client, then pick the “Configuration” tab, then select “Storage” or “Datastores.” Click with the right mouse button on the inaccessible datastore and select “Unmount” or “Detach.”

4. After we have successfully unmounted the NFS datastore from each of the related servers, we may remove it from vCenter.

So, go to the “Storage” or “Datastores” view in the vSphere Web Client, right-click the unavailable datastore, and choose “Remove.” When prompted, confirm the removal. As an alternative, we can also eliminate the inaccessible datastore programmatically by using the vSphere API or command-line tools like PowerCLI.

5. After removing the inoperable NFS datastore, we must make sure the removal is correctly reflected by keeping an eye on the vCenter Server and the ESXi hosts. Also, verify that the unavailable datastore is no longer listed by looking at the datastore view.

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Conclusion

It’s crucial to understand that removing inaccessible NFS datastore from vCenter has no impact on the NFS server’s actual storage. It only gets rid of the datastore’s configuration and representation in the Center. So we must take care while deleting datastores because doing so permanently separates them from the vCenter environment.