ESXi

I'n try to back up a VM with GhettoVCB and its failing saying a snapshot is present.  There isn't one in Snapshot Manager so I've created a snapshot and then done a delete all but it is still failing.

I've had a look in the datastore and I can see that there is a delta file.  I think its an old snapshot file that is not in use but wanted to check before I deleted it.  This is the directory listed from the datastore:-

drwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          3780 Oct 18 12:40 .

drwxr-xr-t    1 root     root          1960 Jun 19 09:03 ..

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            73 Sep  7  2013 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local-346bdcd4.hlog

-rw-------    1 root     root     8589934592 Sep 11  2013 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local-346bdcd4.vswp

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            13 Oct 18 12:40 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local-aux.xml

-rw-------    1 root     root       6554112 Oct 18 12:41 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local-ctk.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root     107374182400 Oct 18 12:52 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local-flat.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root          8684 Oct 18 12:41 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.nvram

-rw-------    1 root     root           620 Oct 18 12:40 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.vmdk

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            46 Oct 18 12:40 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.vmsd

-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          4243 Oct 18 12:40 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.vmx

-rw-------    1 root     root             0 Sep  7  2013 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.vmx.lck

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root           283 Oct 17 09:28 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.vmxf

-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          4250 Oct 18 12:40 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.vmx~

-rw-------    1 root     root     252071936 Feb 13  2014 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1-000001-delta.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root           364 Feb 13  2014 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1-000001.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root       4915712 Oct 18 12:41 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1-ctk.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root     322122547200 Oct 18 12:52 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1-flat.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root           624 Oct 18 12:40 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1.vmdk

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root       1366075 Jun 28  2011 vmware-4.log

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root       1294553 Jul  5  2011 vmware-5.log

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root       1285971 Aug 23  2011 vmware-6.log

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root       1295743 Apr 26  2013 vmware-7.log

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root       1318787 Jul 31  2013 vmware-8.log

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root        240174 Sep  7  2013 vmware-9.log

-rw-r--r--    1 root     root      44435410 Oct 18 12:42 vmware.log

And this is the disks from the .vmx for the virtual machine:-

scsi0:0.fileName = "chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.vmdk"

scsi0:1.fileName = "chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1.vmdk"

scsi0:2.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/522857d3-a99e32f2-6ca5-3c4a92f58408/chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local/chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local.vmdk"

Given the two files related to the snapshot are dated in February, and the .vmx isn't referencing them and I safe to delete the following:-

-rw-------    1 root     root     252071936 Feb 13  2014 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1-000001-delta.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root           364 Feb 13  2014 chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1-000001.vmdk

Thanks!

I tend to say yes, it seems that in this case these are obsolete files. However, if you can afford a short downtime, I'd recommend you shut down the VM, create a sub-directory, move the two snapshot files into the new subdirectory, and then power on the VM again. If everything works as expected you may then delete the files.

André

I'd be very carefull with deleting some files, if you do not want to loose VM. Instead of that, you can backup even VMs with snapshosts, but you have to allow it in ghettoVCB.conf:

ALLOW_VMS_WITH_SNAPSHOTS_TO_BE_BACKEDUP=1

Allowing the setting in GhettoVCB would be a solution however it might be better to ensure that the VM does not use those delta VMDK's by indeed shutting down the VM, creating a temporary directory and starting the VM again. If the VM does not give errors during the power on, the delta VMDK's are not used. The fastest way to test this is by:

1) Shutdown the VM

2) SSH to the host and go into the virtual machine working directory using the cd command.

3) Create a temporary folder (mkdir tmp).

4) Move the delta VMDK's there (mv chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1-000001-delta.vmdk chw-vm-02.cheeswrights.local_1-000001.vmdk tmp)

5) Power on the VM again

6) If the VM powers on and everything appears to be working as expected, you can remove the tmp dir from the VM working directory (rm -rf tmp).

Thanks for all the replies and the detailed instructions.  Given my paranoia about deleting anything, I'll do the shutdown and move.

Just one more question - presumably if I do this, the worst case is that the VM won't start and in that instance I just move the files back and it should be fine?  This is an important production machine so I obviously need to minimise any risk.

Thanks again.

Correct, that's why I advised to do the mv first, and the rm later. That should get you going.