How to Add a Windows Server NFS Shares to VMware ESXi

Read this guide to learn how to set up a Windows Server 2022 NFS Folder share and use it to create an ESXi NFS datastore.

Overview and Background

When I built my VMware/vCenter home lab, I used a Windows iSCSI target server for the ESXi datastore. However, whenever I move a VM to the iSCSI datastore it freezes and everything crashes.

I believe the iSCSI storage was failing due to network congestion. To fix this problem, I decided to use a Windows NFS share instead.

Step 1: Install the Server for NFS Role

Open PowerShell as administrator on the server you want to create the share and run the command below:

Install-WindowsFeature -Name FS-NFS-Service -IncludeManagementTools

Step 2: Create an NFS Folder Share

The two subsections in this section explain how to create a folder, and then use it to create an NFS share.

Step 2.1: Create a Folder to Use for the NFS Share

Run this command in PowerShell

New-Item -Name ESXiDatastore -Path E: -ItemType Directory

Step 2.2: Create an NFS Share

1. Right-click the folder and select Properties.

2. Choose the NFS Sharing tab and then click Manage NFS Sharing.

3. Check the “Share this folder” checkbox on the NFS Advanced Sharing screen. After that, click the Permissions button.

4. On the permissions page, ALL MACHINES are allowed Read-only access by default. You can add individual computers by clicking the Add button.

However, for my home lab, I will allow all machines Read-write by selecting the option from the Type of access drop-down. Also, to allow root access, I’ll check the checkbox, Allow root access.

5. Click OK until you get to the folder’s properties sheet. Then, note the NFS Share network path.

Step 3: Mount the NFS Share as a Datastore

1. Sign in to the ESXi host in a web browser. After that, click the Storage node, then the New Datastore button.

2. On the first page of the New datastore wizard, choose the Mount NTS Datastore option and click Next.

3. On the configuration page, give the datastore a name, enter the IP address of the FQDN of the Windows Server, and the share name (add a “/” before the share name). Finally, on the final page, review your settings and click Finish.

If everything goes according to plan, ESXi will take a short while to add the NFS datastore.

Repeat the above steps to add the same NFS to other ESXi hosts you wish to share the same datastore.

Conclusion

A Windows Server NFS Share appears to perform better than a Windows iSCSI target server. In this guide, I have explained the steps to install the Server for NFS Role Windows Server role.

Then, create an NFS folder share. Finally, I showed how to mount the NFS share as an EXSi datastore.