RDM for Local Storage

If you faced with grayed out option issue or can not add local volume as RDM to VM follow below steps:

• Conditions of device:

1.  Must support SCSI VPD page code 0x83
2.  Must export a global serial number

Steps :

• SSH to the ESXi host
• Run below command to list all attached disks :

# ls -l /vmfs/devices/disks

• From the list copy the device name that you want to config.
• Run below command to configure device as an RDM and output the RDM pointer file to your destination:

# vmkfstools -z /vmfs/devices/disks/diskname /vmfs/volumes/datastorename/vmfolder/vmname.vmdk

• attach the RDM to VM:

Right click on VM ---> Edit Setting ---> Add ---> Hard Disk ---> Use an existing virtual disk ---> Search and select the RDM pointer that you saved --->Select the virtual SCSI controller that you want to attach the disk ---> Finish

• Now the new hard disk should appear as Mapped Raw LUN in VM inventory.