The safest way to delete snapshots

[naisy]

Hi There, we have server with snapshots that we wish to remove in order to clean the environment up and cosolidate space. One server contatins these delta files

7.3G Oct 6 2008 car-unity-000001-delta.vmdk

11G May 13 19:11

car-unity-000002-delta.vmdk

1.8G Aug 13 2008

car-unity_1-000001-delta.vmdk

12G Apr 20 03:23 car-unity_1-000002-delta.vmdk

Another server contains all of these delta files

2.0G Sep 3 2008 car-web-direct-000001-delta.vmdk

16M Aug 25 2008

car-web-direct-000002-delta.vmdk

2.0G Aug 23 2008

car-web-direct-000003-delta.vmdk

16M Aug 8 2008

car-web-direct-000004-delta.vmdk

3.4G Oct 6 2008

car-web-direct-000005-delta.vmdk

16M Sep 4 2008

car-web-direct-000006-delta.vmdk

3.4G Oct 20 2008

car-web-direct-000007-delta.vmdk

16M Oct 6 2008

car-web-direct-000008-delta.vmdk

9.7G May 16 04:22

car-web-direct-000009-delta.vmdk

7.0G May 16 03:23

car-web-direct-000010-delta.vmdk

From our experiences so far this has been a time consuming process, we have noticed that the process in the event log actually times out yet if we are patient the snapshot eventually deletes. This has taken up to 2 hourns so far for thr smaller snapshot. We are concerend that there is a large amount of snapshots on these 2 servers and they are large in size.

The process we follow is to power down the VM and use the snapshot manager to delete the snapshots one at a time. we ensure the file is actually removed from storage and from the snapshot manager prior to powering the server back on.

Is there a safer approach to this?

Is there anyway we can perhaps back these VM's up pior to underatking the process?

[AndreTheGiant]

On ESX the best approach is to use snapshot only when are needed and remove them as soon as possible.

Snapshot are useful for backup and testing purpose, but have performance impact in production.

Andre

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[naisy]

Yes, we have just work this out! We have a much better understanding on the use of snapshots. Now we wish to remvore these old ones before they get too large.

[AndreTheGiant]

To delete snapshots you can also do a run time, but you may have some performance issue (on storage) in your VM if the snapshots are very big (like in your case).

Note that the operation will go in timeout into the VIC, but don't worry.

Andre

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[naisy]

Thanks. There is actually 2 approaches for this

1. Use the snapshot manager cross fingers and wait

2. Use the VM Converter to export the VM out and back in to ESX. This also consolidates and removes the snapshots.

Has anyone tried these methods and can recomment\ the best (safest)?

[depping]

Please keep in mind that you might need a lot of extra diskspace when you delete this snapshot chain by pressing "delete all":

http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2008/01/07/delete-all-snapshots/

Snapshot number 10 is 7GB and number 9 is 9Gg. You will need at least 70GB additional diskspace on your VMFS volume. Before you press "delete all" check if you have diskspace available or not.

Duncan

VMware Communities User Moderator | VCP | VCDX

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[Pete987]

We are in the same siutation. Does it make more sense to export the image using VMware Converter instead of hitting delete all on the VM? I am guessing that using the converter only read the original VM and doesnt touch these files, givin you a fallback position should anything go wrong? Our tests have shown that using the VMware Converter the exported VM arrives at its destination with its snapshots rolled up and no snapshot history.

Is this the prefered/safest method for snapshot deletion as in the OPs case?

[kjb007]

Using #2 will require you to have enough storage space on your VMFS to store the cloned vm. Using this method, you are creating a clone.

I've used snapshot manager to remove large snapshots as well. The task will timeout on virtual center, but if you connect vi client directly to the esx host running the vm, you can see the task is still running. It will continue to run there until the snapshots are gone. I had one vm with ~ !00gb snapshot someone left running, and it took all night to consolidate, but, consolidate it did.

That being said, converter is the safer option, as I've had snapshot manager leave delta files, and I've had to recreate snapshot chains when there were several delta files and several disks over multiple vmfs. I guess that one was too complicated.

-KjB

VMware vExpert

Message was edited by: kjb007