Connecting an external disk to Sangfor HCI

Is it possible to connect a HDD containing some .VHD files to our Sangfor HCI infrastructure via USB?
I tried connecting a USB HDD but Sangfor requires formatting it as soon as its connected.
Would be possible to let Sangfor format this disk, then disconnecting it to copy the .VHD files to it and then plugging it back to the cluster node and use those files to create new VMs as existing disk images? Or even better connecting a NTFS disk directly to Sangfor HCI and get it recognized right away to import those VMs?
It would definitely shave some time trying to import around 10TB of data

Hi, as far as i know, Sangfor HCI does not support conencting usb disk directly to hci node. You can use a pc connected to same network and upload vhd file by connecting you usb disk on this pc and using Sangfor HCI's web ui to upload it on  virtualdatastore

Hi,

Only directly connect an pc where have access to the USB drive and then upload it .

try with NFS share over the network. applying directly can casue a data loss.

Hi,

connecting a USB HDD with .VHD files for VM creation is not supported by Sangfor HCI due to formatting requirement which is might not be compatible with existing .VHD files; and limited USB support since Sangfor HCI might not provide direct UB passthrough to guest VMs

Have u try to use the shared storage such as nas or san

No, currently Sangfor HCI does not support directly attaching a USB drive with .VHD files for VM creation. Formatting the USB drive is a security measure by Sangfor, so avoid formatting the disk if the .VHD files are critical.

Here are some alternative approaches to consider to import your .VHD files into Sangfor HCI:

    Transfer VHDs to Sangfor Storage and Import:
        Transfer the .VHD files to Sangfor storage using a separate tool like SCP or NFS mount.
        Use Sangfor HCI's VM import functionalities to import the transferred VHDs. This is likely the most straightforward option.

    Use Sangfor Staging Server (if available):
        Consider using a Sangfor staging server to upload the VHDs and then import them into the HCI cluster. This approach can be faster than transferring directly to Sangfor storage depending on your network setup.

Even though using a USB drive would be faster for large data transfers like 10TB, Sangfor prioritizing security prevents this method. The alternative methods mentioned above will require some additional steps but are supported by Sangfor HCI.

Sangfor HCI does not permit direct connection of a USB drive containing .VHD files for virtual machine (VM) creation. This restriction, including the requirement to format the USB drive, is a security measure implemented by Sangfor. To protect critical .VHD files, refrain from formatting the USB drive unnecessarily."

Simply connect a PC directly to access the USB drive and proceed with uploading the files.

Sangfor HCI prohibits the direct connection of a USB drive containing .VHD files for virtual machine (VM) creation. It is recommended to explore alternative storage solutions, such as NAS or SAN.