On a single host with 1 VM that has 2 "disks" on 2 different datastores, does esxi create a vmdkfile on each datastore or only one on one of the datastores?
By default same datastore.
You can change the datastore position.
Not sure whether I understand the question correctly, but each virtual disk consists of two files, a header/descriptor .vmdk file, and a flat (data) .vmdk file. This is independent on whether the virtual disks are created in the same or different datastores.
André
So basicly only one file regardless of disks.
Thanks
No, 1 virtual disk = 2 files.
André
Yes, but what I meant was is it always just one flat and one descriptor or could it be like 4 flat and one descriptor if you got many datastores?
A disk can only be on one datastore (ignoring DR solutions). Snapshots of that disk could end up on a different datastore depending on configuration but that wasn't the question I assume.
TL;DR
one disk == two files == one datastore
>>> Yes, but what I meant was is it always just one flat and one descriptor or could it be like 4 flat and one descriptor if you got many datastores?
No, it's always 1 descriptor + 1 data (flat) file. Btw. that same is true for snapshots, i.e. 1 descriptor, and 1 data (delta or sesparse) file.
André
