Snapshot files

[hortencio]

When a snpashot of a VM is created, what kind of files are created and what are their meaning ?

Thanks in advance,

[dmorgan · Accepted solution]

VMDK files - VMDK files are the actual hard drive for the virtual machine. When a snapshot is taken, the original VMDK file is set to read only, and the delta, or changes, are written to a new VMDK. Usually these are named MachineName-000001.vmdk, and so on.

VMSN files - these files are used for VMware snapshots. A VMSN file is used to store the exact state of the virtual machine when the snapshot was taken. Using this snapshot, you can then restore your machine to the same state as when the snapshot was taken. A VMSD file stores information about snapshots (metadata). Typically these are named something like MachineName-SnapShot3.vmsn, or something similar.

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[petedr]

The Petri site has a page talking about snapshot files.

http://www.petri.co.il/virtual_vmware_snapshot.htm