I see for each VM device there is are a number of associated files including a vmdk. On our vcenter host there are quite a few vmdk files of varying sizes. What are those? The names are generic such as 'VCSA.vmdk', vcsa_1.vmdk, vcsa_12.vmdk. I have no idea what they are. I've search on vmdk files and can't find an explanation.
Thank you.
Can you please provide an example of the files that you see? This way it might be easier to explain what they are for.
A virtual disk on an ESXi host consists of two .vmdk files, a small descriptor/header file (a text file that only contains metadata), and the data file which contains user data. If a VM has active snapshots, each of these snapshots also consists of two .vmdk files. Sample: A VM with a single virtual disk, and two snapshot has six .vmdk files.
Sample names:
Primary virtual disk: <vmname>.vmdk + <vmname>-flat.vmdk
Additional virtual disks: <vmname>_#.vmdk + <vmname>_#-flat.vmdk
Snapshots: <vmname>-00000x.vmdk + <vmname>-00000x-delta.vmdk (or <vmname>-00000x-sesparse.vmdk for newer ESXi versions)
André
Virtual disk files
Thank you for the information in your post. I feel like I did those things but apparently I missed the boat on something. I'm brand new at VMWare. I did google. For example the other response said that VMDK files are Virtual Machine Files. I knew that from googling and searching forums.
This may not even be the right forum and for that I apologize but I didn't see one that just had VCenter. For all I know this is the wrong community even.
I'm not trying to be a smart a@@ or anything, I did appreciate reading the rules and will keep them in mind.
Have a nice day.
Thank you. I did know that from searching and actually RTFM as suggested in the rules for posting. So I was not clear and I will try again.
Each VM has its own VMDK containing the name of the virtual machine. The host itself has a number of VMDK files that have only numbers in the name and the amout of vmdk files on the host does not correspond to the number of virtual machines. I am curious about what those are. I didn't see anything that explained those.If this is the wrong community or forum for this please let me know. I do not intend to be a pest.
Can you please provide an example of the files that you see? This way it might be easier to explain what they are for.
A virtual disk on an ESXi host consists of two .vmdk files, a small descriptor/header file (a text file that only contains metadata), and the data file which contains user data. If a VM has active snapshots, each of these snapshots also consists of two .vmdk files. Sample: A VM with a single virtual disk, and two snapshot has six .vmdk files.
Sample names:
Primary virtual disk: <vmname>.vmdk + <vmname>-flat.vmdk
Additional virtual disks: <vmname>_#.vmdk + <vmname>_#-flat.vmdk
Snapshots: <vmname>-00000x.vmdk + <vmname>-00000x-delta.vmdk (or <vmname>-00000x-sesparse.vmdk for newer ESXi versions)
André
Thank you!