Increase vCenter Server Appliance database disk

A few days ago my co-worker Phil Liou had an incident where the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) 5.5 ran out of disk space for the vCenter Server Database.
The default VCSA disk layout for the second disk /dev/sdb used for the VCSA database looks like:

• 20 GB Log
• 20 GB core
• 60 GB db
  

We will not go into any specific monitoring and/or operational procedures used but instead describe one way to increase the VCSA database disk if needed.

• Download GParted – http://gparted.org/download.php
• Verify the VCSA disk to increase using “df -h” command
• Connect to the ESXi host running the VCSA using the vSphere Client
• Shut Down VCSA
• Increase the VCSA disk. In our case to 200 GB
• Connect the GParted ISO as a “CD/DVD Drive 1” device to the VCSA
• Mark the checkbox “The next time the virtual machine boots, force entry to into the BIOS setup screen”
  
• Start the VCSA
• Set the “CD-ROM Drive” as the first boot option, exit BIOS setup.
  
• Use GParted to expand the db disk partition. In our case /dev/sdb3
  
• Shut down VCSA
• Remove the GParted ISO form the “CD/DVD Drive 1”
• Start the VCSA
• Verify that the partition has increased by running the command “df -h”. In our case to 160GB.

Another option, if customer allows, would have been to free up space in the DB by e.g:

• Configure retention policy
• Change (lower) the logging level
• Change (lower) statistics level

The VMware KB 2056764 describes another way of increasing the disk space for the VCSA.