Unmount VMFS datastore

Unmounting a VMFS datastore makes the datastore inaccessible to the ESXi host, but the files on the datastore remain preserved. The datastore continues to appear on other hosts, where it remains mounted.

Before unmounting a VMFS datastore, make sure that the following prerequisites are met:

  • no virtual machines reside on the datastore.
  • the datastore is not part of a datastore cluster.
  • storage I/O control is disabled.
  • the datastore is not used for HA heartbeat or Storage DRS.

Here is how you can unmount a VMFS datastore using vSphere Web Client:

1. Select your ESXi host from the Inventory and go to Related objects > Datastores. Right-click the datastore you would like to unmount and select All vCenter Actions > Unmount Datastore:

unmount datastore

2. If the datastore is shared, specify which hosts should no longer access the datastore:

unmount datastore select hosts

After you unmount a VMFS datastore, the datastore becomes inaccessible:

datastore inaccessible


VMware ESXi course

Geek University 2022