Creating snapshots in a different location than default virtual machine directory

[Centosuser]

Dear All,

Lately we cannot take a backup of our VM on using VEEAM backup and replication

the error is Processing  Error: Skipping VM processing due to insufficient free disk space on datastore Data. 

I've looked on the Data Store of the VM which has a less storage and want to change default snapshot of the VM to a different storage.

we are using ESXI 6.5 and found this article regarding this.

Creating snapshots in a different location than default virtual machine directory for VMware ESXi an...

however when I download the .vmx file of the VM I can't seem to find the workingdir. the below is the .vm file of the VM.

Can someone please advise how to fix this ? a big thank you all.

.encoding = "UTF-8"

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "13"

vmci0.present = "TRUE"

floppy0.present = "FALSE"

numvcpus = "4"

memSize = "4096"

sched.cpu.units = "mhz"

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsisas1068"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

scsi0:0.fileName = "DC.vmdk"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

displayName = "DC"

guestOS = "windows8srv-64"

toolScripts.afterPowerOn = "TRUE"

toolScripts.afterResume = "TRUE"

toolScripts.beforeSuspend = "TRUE"

toolScripts.beforePowerOff = "TRUE"

uuid.bios = "56 4d d9 7f a4 40 10 a1-78 83 f9 05 05 14 81 2f"

uuid.location = "56 4d d9 7f a4 40 10 a1-78 83 f9 05 05 14 81 2f"

vc.uuid = "52 64 8f 31 39 1c 55 84-6b a0 c6 fc c2 ba 17 7f"

chipset.onlineStandby = "FALSE"

sched.cpu.min = "0"

sched.cpu.shares = "normal"

sched.mem.min = "0"

sched.mem.minSize = "0"

sched.mem.shares = "normal"

vmci0.id = "85229871"

cleanShutdown = "TRUE"

tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

extendedConfigFile = "DC.vmxf"

scsi0:1.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

scsi0:1.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/56fb479c-62b92216-f691-6805ca40b402/DC/DC_1.vmdk"

scsi0:1.present = "true"

sched.cpu.affinity = "all"

sched.scsi0:0.shares = "normal"

sched.scsi0:1.shares = "normal"

sched.scsi0:0.throughputCap = "off"

sched.scsi0:1.throughputCap = "off"

svga.vramSize = "16777216"

tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"

ethernet0.virtualDev = "vmxnet3"

ethernet0.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE"

ethernet0.uptCompatibility = "TRUE"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:14:81:2f"

tools.guest.desktop.autolock = "FALSE"

sched.cpu.latencySensitivity = "normal"

nvram = "DC.nvram"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

svga.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

hpet0.present = "TRUE"

cpuid.coresPerSocket = "2"

svga.autodetect = "TRUE"

vmci0.unrestricted = "TRUE"

disk.EnableUUID = "TRUE"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/56fb3860-5c070484-4bad-6805ca40b402/DC/DC-44b389b7.vswp"

replay.supported = "false"

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "160"

ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "192"

vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "32"

scsi0.sasWWID = "50 05 05 6f a4 40 10 a0"ddd

ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

vm.genid = "-7868119124044379321"

vm.genidX = "2509724875556312798"

monitor.phys_bits_used = "43"

vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "4194304"

vmotion.checkpointSVGAPrimarySize = "16777216"

softPowerOff = "TRUE"

toolsInstallManager.lastInstallError = "0"

svga.guestBackedPrimaryAware = "TRUE"

tools.remindInstall = "FALSE"

toolsInstallManager.updateCounter = "6"

numa.autosize.vcpu.maxPerVirtualNode = "4"

numa.autosize.cookie = "40001"

acpi.smbiosVersion2.7 = "FALSE"

acpi.mouseVMW0003 = "FALSE"

migrate.hostLog = "./DC-44b389b7.hlog"

scsi0:1.redo = ""

scsi0:0.redo = ""

SCSI0:0.ctkEnabled = "true"

SCSI0:1.ctkEnabled = "true"

ctkEnabled = "TRUE"

[TheBobkin · Accepted solution]

Hello Centosuser,

This workingDir line is not in the .vmx by default thus why the kb article states "Add these lines to the .vmx configuration file of the virtual machine"

If you are wondering where your .vmx is currently residing then it is probably /vmfs/volumes/56fb3860-5c070484-4bad-6805ca40b402/DC/

(Unless you configured .vswp to non-default location - kb.vmware.com/kb/1004082)

Boot vmdk 0:0 is writing to wherever the .vmx is currently located (thus the absence of /vmfs/volumes/DatastoreName/VMName/ in the path).

vmdk mounted on SCSI0:1 (and by default all snapshots of this disk) are writing to /vmfs/volumes/56fb479c-62b92216-f691-6805ca40b402/DC/

Hope this helps.

Bob

[Centosuser]

Thank you for your answer.

I haven't read the article carefully.

added the below lines and it start working. thank you so much for pointing me

workingDir = "/vmfs/volumes/56fb3860-22312c38-ceff-6805ca40b402 /vm-snapshots"

snapshot.redoNotWithParent = "true"

[TheBobkin]

Hello Centosuser,

You have a typo in the directory path - a space between the datastore UUID and  /vm-snapshots.

Other than this it looks okay, test that this is functioning as intended by taking a snapshot and checking that it is created at this new location.

Bob

[Centosuser]

thank you for the answer,

I've already noticed it and been adjusted.

issue is resolved a big thank you guys for the support.