VMware Cloud Community
MariusRoma
Expert
Expert
Jump to solution

Reducing disk size

A Windows VM used to host 200 GB of data.

Now the used space is 40 GB as a lot of data were deleted.

How can I reduce the size of the (thin) .vmdk files?

The VM is member of an AD domain and this makes things a little bit more complicated.

Can I use any PowerCli command or any backup tool?

Regards

marius

Reply
0 Kudos
1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
RAJ_RAJ
Expert
Expert
Jump to solution

Hi ,

To  reclaim unused storage blocks on a VMFS datastore from ESXi    Refer  #  VMware Knowledge Base

Converter can be used for v2v also ,  please find the below details  . You may have to configure the network on the new converted machine .

System Settings Affected by Conversion

A VMware virtual machine that Converter Standalone creates contains a copy of the disk state of the source physical machine, virtual machine, or system image. Some hardware-dependent drivers and sometimes the mapped drive letters might not be preserved.

The following source computer settings remain unchanged:

Operating system configuration (computer name, security ID, user accounts, profiles, preferences, and so on)

Applications and data files

Volume serial number for each disk partition

RAJESH RADHAKRISHNAN VCA -DCV/WM/Cloud,VCP 5 - DCV/DT/CLOUD, ,VCP6-DCV, EMCISA,EMCSA,MCTS,MCPS,BCFA https://ae.linkedin.com/in/rajesh-radhakrishnan-76269335 Mark my post as "helpful" or "correct" if I've helped resolve or answered your query!

View solution in original post

Reply
0 Kudos
11 Replies
IT_pilot
Expert
Expert
Jump to solution

What is your version of vSphere?

In version 6.5, if VMFS version 6 is used, everything happens automatically.

http://it-pilot.ru
ganeshgv
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Jump to solution

Hi MariusRoma,

In version 6.5 it will reclaim the space automatically. If you are using lower version. Please find below link to refer reclaim steps it will helpful.

VMware Knowledge Base

Regards,

Ganesh GV

daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal
Jump to solution

That's not what OP is asking. He's asking about reclaiming space from a thinly-provisioned VMDK. To answer the question, the only supported method is by using VMware Converter and converting this VM to a new one which will collapse the used space.

RAJ_RAJ
Expert
Expert
Jump to solution

HI ,

Storage reclaim  can be done while vm is powered on .

If you are looking for resize the vmdk ( like  from C drive with 200 GB  to c drive with 100 GB )  .

You can use VMware  Converter to do the same

RAJESH RADHAKRISHNAN VCA -DCV/WM/Cloud,VCP 5 - DCV/DT/CLOUD, ,VCP6-DCV, EMCISA,EMCSA,MCTS,MCPS,BCFA https://ae.linkedin.com/in/rajesh-radhakrishnan-76269335 Mark my post as "helpful" or "correct" if I've helped resolve or answered your query!
MariusRoma
Expert
Expert
Jump to solution

Many thanks to all.

Unfortunately I am using vSphere 5.5.

What I need to do is reduce the space used inside the datastore.

The original (thin) .vmdk disk was 300 GB, contained, let's say, 200 GB of data and used 200 GB of space in the datastore.

Now the disk is still 300 GB but contains only 40 GB of data.

I need to reclaim the space inside the datastore.

Up to now I used VMware Converter only to perform P2V operations.

If I use it to convert a Windows VM that is member of an AD domain will the ID of the VM change?

Will I have to re-add to the VM to the AD domain?

Regards

marius

RAJ_RAJ
Expert
Expert
Jump to solution

Hi ,

To  reclaim unused storage blocks on a VMFS datastore from ESXi    Refer  #  VMware Knowledge Base

Converter can be used for v2v also ,  please find the below details  . You may have to configure the network on the new converted machine .

System Settings Affected by Conversion

A VMware virtual machine that Converter Standalone creates contains a copy of the disk state of the source physical machine, virtual machine, or system image. Some hardware-dependent drivers and sometimes the mapped drive letters might not be preserved.

The following source computer settings remain unchanged:

Operating system configuration (computer name, security ID, user accounts, profiles, preferences, and so on)

Applications and data files

Volume serial number for each disk partition

RAJESH RADHAKRISHNAN VCA -DCV/WM/Cloud,VCP 5 - DCV/DT/CLOUD, ,VCP6-DCV, EMCISA,EMCSA,MCTS,MCPS,BCFA https://ae.linkedin.com/in/rajesh-radhakrishnan-76269335 Mark my post as "helpful" or "correct" if I've helped resolve or answered your query!
Reply
0 Kudos
IT_pilot
Expert
Expert
Jump to solution

Tell me, from the Windows point of view it's a system disk or not?

What version of Windows do you use?

http://it-pilot.ru
Reply
0 Kudos
MariusRoma
Expert
Expert
Jump to solution

Let me re-open this topic.

My question (reduce the used space after deeleting files inside a thin VMDK disk) is related to either Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows server 2012 R2 VMs.

I cannot use VMware Converter because I need to perform the process in background.

Unfortunately some disks to be shrinked contain the system and boot partition.

What is the best strategy to use?

Regards

marius

Reply
0 Kudos
daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal
Jump to solution

If this were on vSphere 6.5 or later and on top of a VMFS-6 datastore, those deletes will get translated as UNMAPs to the array and should automatically shrink that disk. If this is *not* the case, the only supported mechanism is to use VMware Converter and convert to a new VM.

Reply
0 Kudos
VM_JOf
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
Jump to solution

Hello Guys,

I'm also have this kind of query

System Overview:

vSphere 6.0

vCenter 6.0

VM Guest OS: Windows Server 2008, 2012 R2 & 2016

1. How can I shrink the System Drive from 150GB to 80GB? via vCenter or under Windows OS environment (Disk Management)?

2. Let say I successfully Shrink the drive in my requirement, How it will reflect in vCenter console? Anything needs to do in vCenter?

3. How can I reclaim the released unallocated space?

Thank in advance,

JOf

Reply
0 Kudos
daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal
Jump to solution

This really isn't the same type of question because you're asking about how to shrink a drive, not how it reclaims space on the backend storage.

Reply
0 Kudos