server-flat.vmdk file

[josere]

I have guest DC that crashed sometime in March, but I recovered the guest OS using backup. However, huge VMDK files(RAID 5 of which 2 of 4 drives failed) were not being backup. We sent all 4 drives to a recovery company and it was recovery. I created a datastore to host the 2TB flat VMDK file, uploaded the flat VMDK file successfully. The guest OS is runing and I need to attach the VMDK file to access data. I went to the settings, add hard drive, select datastore2, and no VMDK file present. I was reading some stuff online that I may need to recreate the VMDK descriptor file. Any ideas? -Thanks.

[weinstein5]

Welcome to the Community - Did they also recover a server.vmdk file - this is the file that contains the information about the virtual disk - the -flat.vmdk is where the data is stored - so if the server.vmdk file was recovered just copy it into the same diirectory of the -flat.vmfk file.

[josere]

I do see the server.vmdk file and the server-flat.vmdk file. I will try uploading that. Thank you!

[BenLiebowitz]

If you have the flat file and not the original VMDK, you can create a new one. 

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100251...

Be sure to make a backup of the flat file before trying to do this...

[josere]

There were several VMDK files: server1.vmdk, server1-flat.vmdk, server2.vmdk, server2-flat.vmdk, server3.vmdk, and server3-flat.vmdk. I was able to upload both server1.vmdk and server2.vmdk(both are approximately 400GB), but the server3.vmdk has 2TB. When uploaded onto the datastore, it shows 0KB and provisioned size is 2TB. When I open my computer, there is no additional drive. When I open device manager, the OS wants me to initialize a disk(which is probably that 2TB drive). Anyone has seen this before? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[continuum]

do not initialize a disk if you think it should have data on it !

Instead try to rebuild the partition table and partition-bootsectors with the tool "Testdisk"

[continuum]

Interesting - today I saw a VM at a customers location that suddenly lost driveletters for 3 large vmdks.
I was able to fix it with testdisk but wonder why it happened at all

[josere]

Is it possible that VMWare has a limit of 2TB for files?

[admin]

Yes for vmdk the limit is 2TB.

[josere]

So if it's over 2TB, what are my options? Split it into two?

[admin]

You can present a physical rdm to VM up to 64TB. Page 4 of this doc Raw Device Mapping size (physical compatibility) 64TB http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere5/r51/vsphere-51-configuration-maximums.pdf

[josere]

The datastore is over 2.75TB but the actual VMDK file is over 2TB. If it's up to 64TB, then there should not be any problem viewing the VMDK file...right?

[admin]

As I mentioned, the vmdk limit is 2TB and physical RDM size limit is 64 TB. vmdk specifically means that you are carving out a file from your SAN. RDM is raw device mapping where you are physically presenting the lun to your VM.