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9 Replies Last post: Feb 25, 2008 2:03 PM by rickbkis
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Multiple file VM

Oct 30, 2007 5:23 AM

Click to view bobby.fishbein@mac.com's profile Lurker bobby.fishbein@mac.com 4 posts since
Dec 22, 2006
When I create a VM, I end up with a single file with a .vmwarevm file. However, when I do a P2V conversion, the result is multiple 2GB .vmdk files and a single *.vmx file. Is there any way to consolidate these files into a single one?
Reply Re: Multiple file VM Oct 30, 2007 5:53 AM
Click to view webfrasse's profile Enthusiast webfrasse 58 posts since
Dec 15, 2006

Put them (all files belonging to the VM) in a folder with the extension .vmwarevm. That will create a package (your single file).

/Mikael

Reply Re: Multiple file VM Feb 25, 2008 7:03 AM
in response to: webfrasse
Click to view rickbkis's profile Novice rickbkis 12 posts since
Aug 30, 2006

Bumping this back up, because I have the same question - not really answered, here.

I've got a large VM that requires some 50 .vmdk files - that's 50 used file descriptors which, last I heard, were still a limited resource.

I'd like to consolidate them into a single file VM.

Is there a way to do this, short of re-import the Parallels image and specify it up front?

thanx,
rickb

Reply Re: Multiple file VM Feb 25, 2008 7:23 AM
Click to view WoodyZ's profile Guru WoodyZ 9,999 posts since
Apr 22, 2004
bobby.fishbein@mac.com wrote:When I create a VM, I end up with a single file with a .vmwarevm file. However, when I do a P2V conversion, the result is multiple 2GB .vmdk files and a single *.vmx file. Is there any way to consolidate these files into a single one?


You can use "/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/vmware-vdiskmanager" to convert your split disk into a monolithic disk.

Also etung has written a nice wrapper application for this and can be downloaded from: vdiskmanager GUI 0.2007.06.18.zip (59.1 K)

vdiskmanager GUI http://communities.vmware.com/thread/88468

Reply Re: Multiple file VM Feb 25, 2008 7:26 AM
in response to: rickbkis
Click to view WoodyZ's profile Guru WoodyZ 9,999 posts since
Apr 22, 2004


rickbkis wrote: Bumping this back up, because I have the same question - not really answered, here.

See my reply to then OP's post as it answers the question.

Reply Re: Multiple file VM Feb 25, 2008 9:20 AM
in response to: WoodyZ
Click to view dp_fusion's profile Hot Shot dp_fusion 283 posts since
Feb 23, 2007
WoodyZ wrote:

rickbkis wrote: Bumping this back up, because I have the same question - not really answered, here.

See my reply to then OP's post as it answers the question.


A package is not a single file - the virtual disk remains split. Nor does this even create a package. All this does is change the way Finder displays the contents of the folder, nothing more.
Reply Re: Multiple file VM Feb 25, 2008 10:28 AM
in response to: dp_fusion
Click to view etung's profile Guru etung 11,030 posts since
Oct 15, 2006 VMware
rickbkis wrote: Bumping this back up, because I have the same question - not really answered, here.
WoodyZ wrote: See my reply to then OP's post as it answers the question.
dp_fusion wrote: A package is not a single file - the virtual disk remains split. Nor does this even create a package. All this does is change the way Finder displays the contents of the folder, nothing more.

rickbkis asked a slightly different question than the OP (although the OP was slightly ambiguous, and Woody's answer could also apply to it). However, I think you're confusing Woody's vmware-vdiskmanager answer with webfrasse's renaming answer. vmware-vdiskmanager suggestion will actually recombine the split disks into one file (although Woody left out the step where you have to point the virtual machine at the converted disk). Since rickbkis was asking about file descriptors, I think Woody's suggestion is correct for that question.
Reply Re: Multiple file VM Feb 25, 2008 11:17 AM
in response to: etung
Click to view WoodyZ's profile Guru WoodyZ 9,999 posts since
Apr 22, 2004
Yes my reply was obviously focused on the virtual disk and not the .vmwarevm Bundle Package and with the ambiguity of the OP's question coupled with what rickbkis was asking it helped to blur the two different questions into one. I should have just posted my original reply in this thread to rickbkis question and not the OP's.

Yes I left out what to do with the new disk however I figured if they couldn't figure it out on their own they'd be asking after. Thanks thought for your response! :)
Reply Re: Multiple file VM Feb 25, 2008 11:29 AM
in response to: etung
Click to view dp_fusion's profile Hot Shot dp_fusion 283 posts since
Feb 23, 2007
etung wrote:

rickbkis asked a slightly different question than the OP (although the OP was slightly ambiguous, and Woody's answer could also apply to it). However, I think you're confusing Woody's vmware-vdiskmanager answer with webfrasse's renaming answer. vmware-vdiskmanager suggestion will actually recombine the split disks into one file (although Woody left out the step where you have to point the virtual machine at the converted disk). Since rickbkis was asking about file descriptors, I think Woody's suggestion is correct for that question.

Thanks for the clarification - it was a bit confusing and I managed to add to it. I knew the disk manager could aggregate the splits as I'd experimented with it. The tools for Fusion are pretty nice, generally, in fact. Tomorrow morning I'll have coffee first then type :)
Reply Re: Multiple file VM Feb 25, 2008 2:03 PM
in response to: dp_fusion
Click to view rickbkis's profile Novice rickbkis 12 posts since
Aug 30, 2006

Ok, that's exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks,

rickb

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