topic Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk in ESXi Discussions

Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

lcqlys — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 20:22:33 GMT

I messed copying/creating a VM between vCenter 6 and 6.7. I logged into my ESXi server and located my vm and all I have left is a test-000001-delta.vmdk.

My question is it possible to create new VM with the delta vmdk? I tried in vCenter 6.7 to create new vm with existing disk and browsed to that folder but it doesn't show up. I see in the filesystem when I ssh into the ESXi server.

If there is command line option to create new vm with -delta.vmdk, I would appreciate that.

Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

daphnissov — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 20:29:50 GMT

No, a delta VMDK is only good if it references its parent VMDK. No parent VMDK, the delta is useless.

Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

Alex_Romeo — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 20:33:50 GMT

Hi,

it is not possible, it does not make sense.

ARomeo

Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

continuum — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 21:16:54 GMT

A delta.vmdk typically can not be used to create a bootable vmdk.

But if the delta-vmdk is quite large and has been used for several months it can be used to extract data.

Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

lcqlys — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 21:24:06 GMT

Yes, my delta is huge, about 3gb, how to extract data?

Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

daphnissov — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 21:53:13 GMT

3 GB is most definitely not a "huge" delta.

Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

scott28tt — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 22:03:47 GMT

So you only have 3Gb worth of block-level changes since however long ago the snapshot it is from was taken, but no original parent disk (whatever size it was)

Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

lcqlys — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 22:07:21 GMT

Yes, no more parent disk. I browse to the datastore of the vm folder, I tried to create new vm with it and that failed. So from vcenter gui, I deleted the vm but the confirmation says it would not remove disk if it's shared and I believed it. Only to realize it actually deleted the parent vmdk.

Re: Create new vm with -delta.vmdk

continuum — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 00:04:53 GMT

Send a VMFS header dump - maybe I can still find the lost flat.vmdk

If you want to attach the 3gb delta.vmdk to a newly created empty vmdk - create a new vmdk with exactly the same specs as the lost one.

Partition the new vmdk in exactly the same way as the old one. This really must be the same partition table as before !!!

If you want to try this - use a different datastore !