This post explains you the major difference between VMFS 5 datastore upgrade from VMFS 3 and newly created VMFS 5 datastore. VMFS 5 is available as part of vSphere 5. VMFS 5 is introduced with lot of performance enhancements. Newly installed ESXi 5 will be formatted with VMFS 5 version but if you have upgraded the ESX 4 or ESX 4.1 to ESXi 5, then datastore version will be VMFS 3 only. You will able to upgrade the VMFS 3 to VMFS 5 via vSphere client once ESXi upgrade is Complete. Even though the upgraded datastore will be with VMFS 5 version but there are many technical difference between upgraded VMFS 5 and newly created VMFS 5. This posts tells you some major differences between upgraded VMFS 5 and newly created VMFS 5.
|
Capabilities
|
Upgraded VMFS 5
|
Newly Created VMFS 5
|
|
Max datastore size
|
64 TB
|
64 TB
|
|
Maximum size of RDM in
Physical Compatibility |
64 TB
|
64 TB
|
|
Block Size
|
Continuous to use the previous block size
which may be 1MB/2MB/4MB/8 MB |
only 1 MB block size
|
|
Sub-block size
|
64 KB sub-blocks
|
8 KB sub-blocks
|
|
File limit
|
30,000
|
100,000
|
|
Partition Style
|
MBR (Master Boot Record) style
|
GPT (GUID Partition Table)
|
|
Partition Sector
|
partition starting on sector 128
|
partition starting on sector 2,048
|
|
Maximum size of RDM in
Virtual Compatibility |
2 TB less 512 bytes
|
2 TB less 512 bytes
|
|
Max size of file
|
2 TB less 512 bytes
|
2 TB less 512 bytes
|