alternative location for snapshots

[ccboe]

I have 2 data stores

os = raid 1

data = raid 5

win 2k8 server

I maxed out the data data store and have no room to do snapshots.

I have read about snapshot.redoNotWithParent but not sure how that helps me since the working dir should be on the os datastore (that is where the vmx file is).

How can I snapshot the server?

os is 279gb 178gb free

data is 410gb 51mb free

Thanks

Tom

[vmroyale]

Hello and welcome to the communities.

How many VMs do you need to snap and what sizes are they? If you are out of space on both datastores, then the snapshot.redoNotWithParent won't be of much value. Do you have any other datastores?

[ccboe]

the os datastore has almost 180gb free.

just trying to use veeam to backup this server.

Thanks

Tom

[ccboe]

just 1 vm

os data store is 280GB 179GB free

os is 80GB

data data store is 410GB 51MB free

data partition is 409GB

server is win 2k8

os is on os ds

data is on data ds

this is the only vm on the server.

hope this helps

Thanks

Tom

[vmroyale]

I misread the 51MB earlier - you should check out http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003412 right away. I believe this is a bigger issue than the working location of the snapshots -which will be the location of the .vmdk file by default.

[a_p_]

With vSphere 5 the default location for snapshots was modified to create a virtual disk's snapshot in its parent's folder. In earlier versions snapshots for all disks ware created in the base folder (where the .vmx lives).

As you already mentioned you need to disable the default with the snapshot.redoNotWithParent setting in addition to specifying the workingDir. Take a look at KB http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2007563 where this is explained.

André

[ccboe]

the data store where the vmx resides has 280GB free.

I don't understand how that is not enough room to do a snapshop.

in windows

os is 78gb with 43GB free

data is 408GB with 257GB free

so if the ds where the vms resides has this much room how does snapshot.redoNotWithParent  help?

Thanks

Tom

[ccboe]

ok this might a just sunk in....

With vSphere 5 the default location for snapshots was modified to create a virtual disk's snapshot in its parent's folder

This is the folder that houses the vmdk?

thanks for the help

Tom

[a_p_]

A snapshot with VMware products starts with a very small size and grows as data is modified, i.e. it only contains modified data blocks. Unless you keep the snapshot for a very long time and let it grow to fill up the datastore the 280 GB should be sufficient.

Please take a look at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1015180 to see how snapshots work.

André

[a_p_]

With vSphere 5 the default location for snapshots was modified to create a virtual disk's snapshot in its parent's folder

This is the folder that houses the vmdk?

Yes, from what I understood, this change was made due to storage tiering, i.e. a snapshots resides on the same storage as their parent disks.

André