VPLEX: How to create a virtual volume

Summary: This KB article outlines the steps needed to create a virtual volume.

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Instructions

  1. Check for unclaimed storage-volumes:
 VPlexcli:/> ll **/storage-volumes

/clusters/cluster-1/storage-elements/storage-volumes:
Name                                      VPD83 ID                                  Capacity  Use        Vendor  IO      Type         Thin     Provision
----------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------  --------  ---------  ------  Status  -----------  Rebuild  Type
----------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------  --------  ---------  ------  ------  -----------  -------  ---------
ESX_4                                     VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303143  8.43G     used       EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
Symm0737_0001                             VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303031  8.43G     used       EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
Symm0737_001B                             VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303142  8.43G     claimed    EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
Symm0737_001D                             VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303144  8.43G     claimed    EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
Test                                      VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303041  8.43G     claimed    EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303035  VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303035  8.43G     unclaimed  EMC     alive   traditional  false    legacy

 

  1. Claim the desired storage-volume:
VPlexcli:/> storage-volume claim --name testA -d VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303035/
Claimed 1 of 1 storage-volumes.

 

  1. Confirm that Storage-volume claimed successfully:
VPlexcli:/> ll /clusters/cluster-1/storage-elements/storage-volumes

/clusters/cluster-1/storage-elements/storage-volumes:
Name                                      VPD83 ID                                  Capacity  Use        Vendor  IO      Type         Thin     Provision
----------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------  --------  ---------  ------  Status  -----------  Rebuild  Type
----------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------  --------  ---------  ------  ------  -----------  -------  ---------
ESX_4                                     VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303143  8.43G     used       EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
Symm0737_0001                             VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303031  8.43G     used       EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
Symm0737_001B                             VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303142  8.43G     claimed    EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
Symm0737_001D                             VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303144  8.43G     claimed    EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
Test                                      VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303045  8.43G     claimed    EMC     alive   normal       true     legacy
testA                                     VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303035  8.43G     claimed    EMC     alive   normal       false    legacy
 
  1. Create an extent from the available claimed storage-volumes:
VPlexcli:/> extent create testA,Test

 

  1. Confirm extent created successfully:
VPlexcli:/> ll /clusters/cluster-1/storage-elements/extents

/clusters/cluster-1/storage-elements/extents:
Name                                              StorageVolume       Capacity  Use
------------------------------------------------  ------------------  --------  -------
extent_Test_1                                     Test                8.43G     claimed
extent_testA_1                                    testA               8.43G     claimed

 

  1. Create a local-device:
VPlexcli:/> local-device create --name testA_vol --geometry raid-1 --extents /clusters/cluster-1/storage-elements/extents/extent_testA_1,/clusters/cluster-1/storage-elements/extents/extent_Test_1 --force

 

  1. Confirm local-device created successfully:
VPlexcli:/> ll -p **/devices

/clusters/cluster-1/devices:
Name                    Operational  Health  Block    Block  Capacity  Geometry  Visibility  Transfer  Virtual Volume
----------------------  Status       State   Count    Size   --------  --------  ----------  Size      --------------------------
----------------------  -----------  ------  -------  -----  --------  --------  ----------  --------  --------------------------
testA_vol                 ok           ok      2209680  4K     8.43G     raid-1    local       128K      -



VPlexcli:/> show-use-hierarchy /clusters/cluster-1/devices/testA_vol/
local-device: testA_vol (8.43G, raid-1, cluster-1)
  extent: extent_Test_1 (8.43G)
    storage-volume: Test (8.43G)
      logical-unit: VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303045
        storage-array: EMC-SYMMETRIX-287460737
  extent: extent_testA_1 (8.43G)
    storage-volume: testA (8.43G)
      logical-unit: VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303035
        storage-array: EMC-SYMMETRIX-287460737

 

  1. Create Virtual-Volume:
VPlexcli:/> virtual-volume create -r testA_vol

 

  1. Confirm virtual-volume created successfully:
VPlexcli:/> ll **/virtual-volumes
/clusters/cluster-1/virtual-volumes:
Name                        Operational  Health  Service     Block    Block  Capacity  Locality  Supporting Device       Cache Mode   Expandable  Expandable  Consistency  VPD ID
--------------------------  Status       State   Status      Count    Size   --------  --------  ----------------------  -----------  ----------  Capacity    Group        ----------------------------------------
--------------------------  -----------  ------  ----------  -------  -----  --------  --------  ----------------------  -----------  ----------  ----------  -----------  ----------------------------------------
testA_vol_vol               ok           ok      unexported  2209680  4K     8.43G     local     testA_vol             synchronous  true        0B          -            VPD83T3:6000144000000010b0026af0c08572c2


VPlexcli:/> show-use-hierarchy /clusters/cluster-1/devices/testA_vol/
virtual-volume: testA_vol_vol (8.43G, local @ cluster-1, unexported)   <-----------
  local-device: testA_vol (8.43G, raid-1, cluster-1)
    extent: extent_Test_1 (8.43G)
      storage-volume: Test (8.43G)
        logical-unit: VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303045
          storage-array: EMC-SYMMETRIX-287460737
    extent: extent_testA_1 (8.43G)
      storage-volume: testA (8.43G)
        logical-unit: VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303035
          storage-array: EMC-SYMMETRIX-287460737olumes


The virtual-volume currently shows as unexported as it has not been added to a storage-view.

  1. Check available storage-views to add virtual-volume to:
VPlexcli:/> ll **/storage-views

/clusters/cluster-1/exports/storage-views:
Name             Operational  initiator-ports                     virtual-volumes                                                                 port name, enabled, export status
---------------  Status       ----------------------------------  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------  ----------------------------------
---------------  -----------  ----------------------------------  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------  ----------------------------------
DELLPR510-F      ok           DELLPR510-F_HBA0                    (0,device_Symm0737_0008_1_vol,VPD83T3:6000144000000010b0026af0c085706c,8.43G),  P000000003CA00263-A0-FC02,true,ok,
                                                                  (1,ESX_4_vol,VPD83T3:6000144000000010b0026af0c08570e5,16.9G),                   P000000003CA0026A-A0-FC00,true,ok,
                                                                  (5,device_Symm0737_0007_1_vol,VPD83T3:6000144000000010b0026af0c0857071,8.43G)   P000000003CB0026A-B1-FC00,true,ok


                                                                  

  1. Add virtual-volume to the desired storage-view:
VPlexcli:/> export storage-view addvirtualvolume --view DELLPR510-F --virtual-volumes testA_vol_vol

 

  1. Confirm volume created successfully:
VPlexcli:/> show-use-hierarchy /clusters/cluster-1/devices/testA_vol/
storage-view: DELLPR510-F (cluster-1)
  virtual-volume: testA_vol_vol (8.43G, local @ cluster-1, running)
    local-device: testA_vol (8.43G, raid-1, cluster-1)
      extent: extent_Test_1 (8.43G)
        storage-volume: Test (8.43G)
          logical-unit: VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303045
            storage-array: EMC-SYMMETRIX-287460737
      extent: extent_testA_1 (8.43G)
        storage-volume: testA (8.43G)
          logical-unit: VPD83T3:6006048000028746073753594d303035
            storage-array: EMC-SYMMETRIX-287460737

Affected Products

VPLEX Series

Products

VPLEX Series, VPLEX VS1, VPLEX VS2, VPLEX VS6
Article Properties
Article Number: 000158420
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 18 Sept 2025
Version:  5
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