Hi folks,
Getting stuck on what I thought would be a simple task. I attempted to expand a volume on a store from 240GB to 350GB. I executed the command in ssh vmkfstools -X 350GB CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk. It seemed to work but the disk size did not change inside Vsphere. I started looking up issues and it was mentioned that doing this with snapshots is bad...
I then attempted to delete the single parent snapshot from the VM. However the disk then reverted to 40GB in size and cannot start due to "The capacity of the parent virtual disk and the capacity of the child disk are different.
Can I get a little guidance on how to correct this? It's kinda an emergency...
Thanks!
I started following this post but I'm not sure if it applies.
CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk
# Disk DescriptorFile
version=1
encoding="UTF-8"
CID=98d30ec0
parentCID=ffffffff
isNativeSnapshot="no"
createType="vmfs"
# Extent description
RW 734003200 VMFS "CAS-SQL-02-Vista-flat.vmdk"
# The Disk Data Base
#DDB
ddb.adapterType = "lsilogic"
ddb.geometry.cylinders = "45689"
ddb.geometry.heads = "255"
ddb.geometry.sectors = "63"
ddb.longContentID = "8405a2266d61df0a05d92e067de65ca3"
ddb.thinProvisioned = "0"
ddb.toolsVersion = "8394"
ddb.uuid = "60 00 C2 96 c0 9c 54 db-55 2f 6f eb 95 b3 74 95"
ddb.virtualHWVersion = "8"
CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk
# Disk DescriptorFile
version=1
encoding="UTF-8"
CID=f1bad950
parentCID=98d30ec0
isNativeSnapshot="no"
createType="vmfsSparse"
parentFileNameHint="CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk"
# Extent description
RW 503316480 VMFSSPARSE "CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001-delta.vmdk"
# The Disk Data Base
#DDB
ddb.longContentID = "e862763da1159027f70d9bedf1bad950"
ddb.toolsVersion = "10246"
drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2.3K Aug 16 21:02 .
drwxr-xr-t 1 root root 1.5K Aug 16 19:37 ..
-rw------- 1 root root 93.6G Aug 16 19:32 CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001-delta.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 363 Aug 2 17:53 CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 350.0G Aug 16 20:00 CAS-SQL-02-Vista-flat.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 8.5K Aug 16 19:32 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.nvram
-rw------- 1 root root 531 Aug 16 20:30 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 77 Aug 16 20:59 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmsd
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 3.0K Aug 16 20:59 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmx
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3.9K Nov 3 2017 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmxf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 391.0K Oct 18 2017 vmware-15.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1.9M Nov 6 2017 vmware-16.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2.3M Jun 15 12:43 vmware-17.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 683.3K Jul 4 08:46 vmware-18.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 315.3K Aug 1 15:09 vmware-19.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 447.3K Aug 16 19:32 vmware-20.log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 55.8K Aug 16 21:02 vmware.log
Message was edited by: robnauticus Added second vmdk text
Message was edited by: robnauticus Added details of folder to see sizes. Removed image of folder
Ok, then let's see whether we can workaround this issue.
As mentioned earlier, please ensure that you have a backup of the VM's files!!!
At this point you should be able to power on the VM, and increase the partition from within the guest OS.
If everything works as expected, don't forget to delete the VM's snapshot again.
André
You will also need to make sure that the file CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk uses the same value for size in sectors - (thats the number following the RW)
Show us both vmdk-descriptorfiles ....
I've updated the vmdk files to match the expected 350GB size descriptor.
In the folder browsing the datastore it looks like the base vmdk file is correctly at 350GB. See file list below.
I've went ahead and tried to boot the machine but the hard drive appears to be 175TB? Max size is 4.xx TB for store.
The hard drive is pointed to [Second Store 5TB] CAS-SQL-02-Vista/CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk
Both other vmdk files are pointed to the delta vmdk file that is 93GB. Is that correct?
The main vmdk file is pointed to the flat file.
-rw------- 1 root root 93.6G Aug 16 19:32 CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001-delta.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 366 Aug 17 17:22 CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 350.0G Aug 16 20:00 CAS-SQL-02-Vista-flat.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 8.5K Aug 16 19:32 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.nvram
-rw------- 1 root root 534 Aug 17 17:20 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 77 Aug 16 20:59 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmsd
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 3.4K Aug 17 17:26 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmx
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3.9K Nov 3 2017 CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmxf
Current VMDK files
CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk
# Disk DescriptorFile
version=1
encoding="UTF-8"
CID=98d30ec0
parentCID=ffffffff
isNativeSnapshot="no"
createType="vmfs"
# Extent description
RW 375809638400 VMFS "CAS-SQL-02-Vista-flat.vmdk"
# The Disk Data Base
#DDB
ddb.adapterType = "lsilogic"
ddb.geometry.cylinders = "45689"
ddb.geometry.heads = "255"
ddb.geometry.sectors = "63"
ddb.longContentID = "8405a2266d61df0a05d92e067de65ca3"
ddb.thinProvisioned = "0"
ddb.toolsVersion = "8394"
ddb.uuid = "60 00 C2 96 c0 9c 54 db-55 2f 6f eb 95 b3 74 95"
ddb.virtualHWVersion = "8"
CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk
# Disk DescriptorFile
version=1
encoding="UTF-8"
CID=f1bad950
parentCID=98d30ec0
isNativeSnapshot="no"
createType="vmfsSparse"
parentFileNameHint="CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk"
# Extent description
RW 375809638400 VMFSSPARSE "CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001-delta.vmdk"
# The Disk Data Base
#DDB
ddb.longContentID = "e862763da1159027f70d9bedf1bad950"
ddb.toolsVersion = "10246"
Update:
I set the second vmdk file (CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk) to the actual size of the delta file (CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001-delta.vmdk) as it stands.
I then re-added this file as a existing VHD on the machine.
In settings when I re-added the drive the size appeared correct (350GB) but once it saved it reverted back to the 175TB which is obviously wrong.
I now get the error on power on:
Failed to power on virtual machine CAS-SQL-02-Vista. The file specified is not a virtual disk
Other Info:
[root@CASSELLESX-01:/vmfs/volumes/551efb4a-013401c2-43af-d4ae5266c08e/CAS-SQL-02-Vista] vmkfstools -x check CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk
DiskLib_Check() failed for source disk 'CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk': The destination file system does not support large files (12).
[root@CASSELLESX-01:/vmfs/volumes/551efb4a-013401c2-43af-d4ae5266c08e/CAS-SQL-02-Vista] vmkfstools -x check CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk
Disk is error free
I started looking up issues and it was mentioned that doing this with snapshots is bad...
I fully agree, it's really not a good idea 😉
Anyway, there might be an option to resolve/workaround this. However, prior to providing you with temporary files, and steps, I'd like to ask you some questions to fully understand the current situation.
1.) You mentioned that you resized the snapshot using:
vmkfstools -X 350GB CAS-SQL-02-Vista-000001.vmdk
Please don't mind me, but I think that you rather resized the base virtual disk. Trying to resize a snapshot isn't possible, and will result in the following error message:
Failed to extend disk : The called function cannot be performed on partial chains. Open the parent virtual disk (5).
2.) The configuration (.vmx) file points to:
ide0:1.fileName = "CAS-SQL-02-Vista.vmdk"
Did you try to power on the VM from the base disk? This is also not a good idea, because it will most likely result in more, or less data corruption, if we can manage to resolve the snapshot issue.
The virtual disk is connected to an IDE controller "ide0:1", but the virtual disk files are configured as scsi devices "lsilogic". Did you change the VM's configuration, or can you explain the reason for this?
André
PS: Unless already done, backup all the VM's files (especially the flat.vmdk, and delta.vmdk files) now!!!
there might be an option to resolve/workaround this. However, prior to providing you with temporary files, and steps, I'd like to ask you some questions to fully understand the current situation.
neyla12
You are welcome to participate in the discussion, but it relally doesn't make much sense to simply copy&paste parts of other user's replies.
André
Hi Andre,
I think you are correct about which actual vmdk I expanded. I think I tried the -00001 file after
I did try and power up the machine from the base disk however it failed immediately every time.
I didn't change from scsi to IDE in the config file... Not sure how that got changed. It was LSI prior similar to my other VMs.
Ok, then let's see whether we can workaround this issue.
As mentioned earlier, please ensure that you have a backup of the VM's files!!!
At this point you should be able to power on the VM, and increase the partition from within the guest OS.
If everything works as expected, don't forget to delete the VM's snapshot again.
André
Hi Andre,
Thanks for your help!
I've gotten to step 5 (taking a snapshot w/240 GB fix applied) but I'm getting the error:
Sorry about this, it looks like the system doesn't like the modified snapshot's descriptor (.vmsd) file.
Since we are going to delete all the snapshots anyway, this file can be safely deleted.
André
André,
After following your last post I was able to get the machine to power on with the new size included!
Thanks so much for all the effort!
Rob