Please explain Consolidate and Delete All Snapshots

[SDquality]

I have 15 snapshots for a VM

I want to understand the background process for Consolidate and Delete All.

Which one should I prefer???? and which one impacts the performance of the VM?

Appreciate your help

[KSethi]

Hi,

This KB will help you understand the overall process of Snapshots.

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=101518...

Rgds

Kanishk

[gopanaboena]

Hi

Follow the mentioned procedure

Delete all snapshots - Yellow Bricks

[KSethi]

Great...

You can also refer the above KB it also helps to understand the entire process of the snapshots.

Rgds

Kanishk

[SDquality]

Duncan's link is old one (2008 post). Now the Snapshot mechanism is changed as far I know and minimal space is required to Delete Snapshots

I have gone through many KB articles.

Please explain background process for Consolidate and "Delete All" in simple words. When should I use consolidate and "Delete All"? Any scenario or example is much appreciated

Thanks

[KSethi]

Ok so when we talk about snapshots in VMware deleting means merging the snapshots to the base disks. for Example if you have base disk of 5gb and child disks of 2gb ( child disk is nothing but your delta.vmdk which is responsible for keeping the track of changes also known as child disk.) So lets say u deleted the child disk the content of the child disk gets merged to the base disk and your snapshot manager shows no snapshots at all.

Consolidating is a way to make sure if there are no snapshots in your snapshots manager then their should be no delta in the datastores so consolidation is the way by the help of which we are making sure that all the delta gets merged to the base disks so as you do not ran out of space in your datastore.

Kindly mark this as helpful/correct if this answer your query.

Rgds

Kanishk

[SDquality]

Hi Kanishk,

Thanks for the reply.

Explanation regarding consolidate is not convincing to  me. You mean to say, I should click on consolidate when there are no Snapshots in Snapshot manager and VM base disk is pointing to delta disk? Correct me if I am wrong?

[KSethi · Accepted solution]

Consolidation ia required when ur snapshot manager says that there are no snapshots however u can still see delta files in your datstore in that case u gat a warning vm consolidation needed. means u get a notification wherein you are making sure that if there are no snapshots in snapshots manager than there should be no delta existing for the same in the datastore.‌

[KSethi]

Hi SD,

Lemme know if this answers your query.

Rgds

Kanishk

[SDquality]

Thanks for your answer.

[KSethi]

‌Don't forget to mark it as correct answer if this answered your query.