How to run VAAI UNMAP and return capacity to Element

Applies to

Element Software:

• All versions  

ESX:

• ESXi 5.5
• ESXI 6.0
• ESXi 6.5

VMFS:

• VMFS 5
• (ESXi 6.5 with VMFS 6 runs this automatically, unmap is not available) 

(Optional) Element Plugin for vCenter (VCP):

• VCP 4.3
• VCP 4.2.3
• VCP 4.1
• VCP 4.0

Description

UNMAP is an ESXi primitive that allows the ESXi host to inform the storage array that files or VMs have been moved or deleted from a Thin-Provisioned VMFS datastore.  This allows Element to correctly release unused blockspace and reclaim capacity.   

UNMAP is beneficial to use when vCenter is reporting less used data than Element is using.