Hi All,
If you take a snapshot of VM (with 1 HDD on it) ---- if you go to ESXi Command line (putty) and to the VM folder and do a ls -lthr *.vmdk
You would only see 1 delta.vmdk (which is the snapshot file) ; Today I realized that when I take a quiesce snapshot and do a ls -lthr *.vmdk ; there are delta files that get created?
Any suggestions why two delta files are getting created
Thanks
Vaibhav
The two delta files are typically created only for quisced snapshots ( for windows 2k8 and above for windows and latest Linux kernels also support this).
One of the delta file contains the normal delta information and the other file ( which is small in size) contains the application consistent information . The combination of both these delta files ensures that the snapshot taken is not just filesystem consistent but application consistent.
For windows GOS this is typically achieved by the VSS service
YES.
A .vmdk file to which the guest operating system can write. The delta disk represents the difference between the current state of the virtual disk and the state that existed at the time that the previous snapshot was taken. When you take a snapshot, the state of the virtual disk is preserved, which prevents the guest operating system from writing to it, and a delta or child disk is created.
A delta disk has two files, including a descriptor file that is small and contains information about the virtual disk, such as geometry and child-parent relationship information, and a corresponding file that contains the raw data.
Hi Davoud,
I think you misunderstood me ; I was referring to below pic
When there is one HDD on VM and if I take a memory or non quiesce snapshot then there is only 1 delta file and only 1 vmdk (for delta)
When I have taken a quiesce snapshot I have two delta files for one HDD
Thanks
Vaibhav
How did you create the snapshot (manually, script, backup application, ...)?
I saw this behavior with backup applications where a first snapshot was created for the VM itself (as expected), and a second snapshot was created due to the backup application's way (independent-nonpersistent) to mount the VM's virtual disk for the backup.
André
Hi,
I created quiesce snapshot manually on VM . There is no backup software involved here as I am doing it on a lab
I am unable to understand why two delta files
Hi ,
Please create a snapshot and delete that with Delete All option .
Uninstall and install the vmware tool to latest .
Try again and let me know if you face same issue .
Also please check there is hdd .vmdk file avaialbel on the folder of the VM by browsing or from CLI which is not in use . This HDd may be you have remove from VM but not selected delete option
Please check
Regards
Rajesh
Have a look at the vmware.log that describes the process.
I would expect to see that the guest gets stunned twice and in between the VSS actions are executed.
The two delta files are typically created only for quisced snapshots ( for windows 2k8 and above for windows and latest Linux kernels also support this).
One of the delta file contains the normal delta information and the other file ( which is small in size) contains the application consistent information . The combination of both these delta files ensures that the snapshot taken is not just filesystem consistent but application consistent.
For windows GOS this is typically achieved by the VSS service
Hi,
Is this a new change? earlier it used to be different. Whether quisced or not it had created only a single delta vmdk file.
Could you please point to VMware article describing the change? Tried to find the KB article or release notes with information mentioned but could not.
Thanks,
Chandra