I have installed ESXi 7.0 U2 with the NetApp VAAI NAS Plugin 2.0 and a current ONTAP 9.8P2 storage.
Snapshot offload is a new feature in the version 2.0 and it creates file clones and not a delta file.
It wasn't easy to find but now i got this working. The problem is, i need to set one VM option:
snapshot.alwaysAllowNative = "TRUE"
When i insert this in the VM options and create a snapshot o get a xxx-000001-flat.vmdk file with the same size and no delta file.
But modify every VM? And even a new created VM must be modified.
How can i set a option per default for every VM?
I found that i can modify the /etc/vmware/config on the host, but then the parameter is only active then the VM is powered on.
So a powered on VM creates file clones via VAAI and a powered off VM makes standard delta files. So this will be only half a solution.
Is there a way that every "new" ctrated VM is getting that option?
Perfect will be that every existing VM will be getting this option too, how?
@Raudi How about updating your template and including the setting there?
Your existing VMs can be scripted by using powercli
But not every VM will be deployed with a template...
I'm searching for something that is foolproof and reliable for every VM.
If you don't deploy each VM with a template, your work-procedure or automation process should ensure this setting is pushed.
Not sure what magic solution you're looking for?
I don't know, because this i'm asking. 😊
Perhaps some kind of host-setting that every new created vm is getting this option. Like the option that every powered on VM is getting this option...
Perfect will be a additional host setting, what i have not found, to enable that feature for all VM's on that host, so that i don't need to modify this on VM level...
I know this is an old thread, but I stumbled across it while Googling for native snapshot stuff.
I feel like it would be a good idea to simplify this, so I submitted it as an idea: https://vsphere.ideas.aha.io/ideas/VSP-I-1286
Thank you, perfect idea to post that there.
I used in the past this script to enable that feature on all my VM's:
Connect-VIServer -Server vcenter.server.local -user administrator@vsphere.local -password PASSWORD
$vms = get-vm -Location "Datacenter-Name"
foreach ($vm in $vms) {
New-AdvancedSetting -Entity $vm -Name snapshot.alwaysAllowNative -Value TRUE -Confirm:$false -Force:$true
}