How to Create VMFS Datastore on Vmware OS bootdrive

Normally a vmfs partition is already created by ESXi on the boot drive. You can verify by going logging into the ESX Web GUI and navigating to Storage --> Devices --> Boot disk (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Clicking on the drive will show the Partition diagram of the boot drive and the vmfs partition is usually partition 3. Make a note of the UUID of the device and the partition number (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Login to the ESXi SSH shell and run the following command:

esxcli storage nmp device list

This will output all the drives in your system similar to the output below:

t10.ATA_____HGST_HUS724040ALA640__________________________PN1334PEGU9TMX
   Device Display Name: Local ATA Disk (t10.ATA_____HGST_HUS724040ALA640________                              __________________PN1334PEGU9TMX)
   Storage Array Type: VMW_SATP_LOCAL
   Storage Array Type Device Config: SATP VMW_SATP_LOCAL does not support device                               configuration.
   Path Selection Policy: VMW_PSP_FIXED
   Path Selection Policy Device Config: {preferred=vmhba0:C0:T2:L0;current=vmhba                              0:C0:T2:L0}
   Path Selection Policy Device Custom Config:
   Working Paths: vmhba0:C0:T2:L0
   Is USB: false

t10.ATA_____HGST_HUS724040ALA640__________________________PN2331PAKJD02T
   Device Display Name: Local ATA Disk (t10.ATA_____HGST_HUS724040ALA640________                              __________________PN2331PAKJD02T)
   Storage Array Type: VMW_SATP_LOCAL
   Storage Array Type Device Config: SATP VMW_SATP_LOCAL does not support device                               configuration.
   Path Selection Policy: VMW_PSP_FIXED
   Path Selection Policy Device Config: {preferred=vmhba0:C0:T1:L0;current=vmhba                              0:C0:T1:L0}
   Path Selection Policy Device Custom Config:
   Working Paths: vmhba0:C0:T1:L0
   Is USB: false

t10.ATA_____HGST_HUS726T4TALA6L1____________________V6JEEXLS____________
   Device Display Name: Local ATA Disk (t10.ATA_____HGST_HUS726T4TALA6L1________                              ____________V6JEEXLS____________)
   Storage Array Type: VMW_SATP_LOCAL
   Storage Array Type Device Config: SATP VMW_SATP_LOCAL does not support device                               configuration.
   Path Selection Policy: VMW_PSP_FIXED
   Path Selection Policy Device Config: {preferred=vmhba0:C0:T3:L0;current=vmhba                              0:C0:T3:L0}
   Path Selection Policy Device Custom Config:
   Working Paths: vmhba0:C0:T3:L0
   Is USB: false

t10.ATA_____HGST_HUS724040ALA640__________________________PN1334PCGY2DLS
   Device Display Name: Local ATA Disk (t10.ATA_____HGST_HUS724040ALA640________                              __________________PN1334PCGY2DLS)
   Storage Array Type: VMW_SATP_LOCAL
   Storage Array Type Device Config: SATP VMW_SATP_LOCAL does not support device                               configuration.
   Path Selection Policy: VMW_PSP_FIXED
   Path Selection Policy Device Config: {preferred=vmhba0:C0:T0:L0;current=vmhba                              0:C0:T0:L0}
   Path Selection Policy Device Custom Config:
   Working Paths: vmhba0:C0:T0:L0
   Is USB: false

t10.NVMe____WDC_CL_SN720_SDAQNTW2D512G2D2000__________E50F1F444A441B00
   Device Display Name: Local NVMe Disk (t10.NVMe____WDC_CL_SN720_SDAQNTW2D512G2                              D2000__________E50F1F444A441B00)
   Storage Array Type: VMW_SATP_LOCAL
   Storage Array Type Device Config: SATP VMW_SATP_LOCAL does not support device                               configuration.
   Path Selection Policy: VMW_PSP_FIXED
   Path Selection Policy Device Config: {preferred=vmhba1:C0:T0:L0;current=vmhba                              1:C0:T0:L0}
   Path Selection Policy Device Custom Config:
   Working Paths: vmhba1:C0:T0:L0
   Is USB: false

Create a vmfs datastore named datastore-ssd  on the partition 3 of the boot device using the commndUUID and the partition number you noted above using the command below (Don'tDevice useformat theis values/vmfs/devices/disks/ below)vm1.<UUID>:3):

vmkfstools --createfs vmfs6 -S datastore-ssd /vmfs/devices/disks/vml.0100000000453530465f314634345f344134345f314230300057444320434c:3

If successful, you should get an output similar to below:

create fs deviceName:'/vmfs/devices/disks/vml.0100000000453530465f314634345f344134345f314230300057444320434c:3', fsShortName:'vmfs6', fsName:'datastore-ssd'
deviceFullPath:/dev/disks/t10.NVMe____WDC_CL_SN720_SDAQNTW2D512G2D2000__________E50F1F444A441B00:3 deviceFile:t10.NVMe____WDC_CL_SN720_SDAQNTW2D512G2D2000__________E50F1F444A441B00:3
ATS on device /dev/disks/t10.NVMe____WDC_CL_SN720_SDAQNTW2D512G2D2000__________E50F1F444A441B00:3: not supported
.
Checking if remote hosts are using this device as a valid file system. This may take a few seconds...
Scanning for VMFS-6 host activity (4096 bytes/HB, 1024 HBs).
Creating vmfs6 file system on "t10.NVMe____WDC_CL_SN720_SDAQNTW2D512G2D2000__________E50F1F444A441B00:3" with blockSize 1048576, unmapGranularity 1048576, unmapPriority default and volume label "datastore-ssd".
Successfully created new volume: 5fc102ac-257939bc-7e5b-0cc47ac8166c

Additionally, the datastore you created should appear under Storage --> Datastores in your ESXi Web Gui (Figure 3).

Figure 3