Where is the *-flat.vmdk file?

[snootalope]

We've got a fairly basic setup with just a few vm's running at the moment. ESX 3.5 update 4 hooked up to an iSCSI san. I've setup about ten VM's and used pretty much all the defaults on them except for the drive size and memory. I'm a little puzzled as to why I can't see the SERVERNAME-flat.vmdk file in the vm's directory on the SAN. Browsing through the vm folders I can see every other file associated with each vm, just none of the -flat files. Can someone explain to me why this is? Should I be seeing them there? Are they there and I just can't see them?

thanks for any info..

[AntonVZhbankov]

You won't see -flat files in VI Client Datastore Browser. It hides some files.

Use Veeam FastSCP (free tool) to browse datastores.

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VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[harryc · Accepted solution]

Log into the server ( Command line like ) with ssh

The -flat.vmdk file will be in the main directory for that VM, /vmfs/volumes/SOMEVOLNAME/somVMname

e.g.

login as: harryc

harryc@vmhost09's password:

Last login: Thu Jun 18 12:59:39 2009 from 10.2.17.60

-bash-2.05b$ su -

Password:

# cd /vmfs/volumes

# ls

45c89e69-ddadecba-726c-00145e7a8c70 vmimages-SVC

45c89f0a-474feae2-78fc-00145e7a8c70 vmlun103-SVC

45f97d79-12a145cf-cdcb-00145e7a8c70 vmlun104-SVC

45f99a14-dde7d851-39da-00145e7a8c70 vmlun105-SVC

4601a129-7f6bed16-68cb-00145e7a8c70 vmlun106-SVC

461fa42f-9271e5d8-3e36-00145e7a0430 vmlun107-SVCX

4638b6ad-cc0687dd-c36c-00145e7a0430 vmlun108-SVC

47b9fe78-79724ba2-96bd-00145e7a0430 vmlun109

47baf0b7-2020ba08-df92-00145e7a0430 vmlun110

47e17f29-a161945c-2bdb-00145e7a0430 vmlun111

491031dd-18a60f60-1465-001e686564c2 VMLUN_200

4995e39d-2942762a-0d83-001e686564c2 vmlunCLM-SVCX

# cd vmlun109

# ls

chgsandbox02 chgsms01 loadmon01 TEMPLATE-Exc-Rcvr

# cd chgsms01

# ls -l

total 262147904

-rw-rr 1 root root 37 Mar 20 2008 chgsms01-04191d0a.hlog

-rw------- 1 root root 4294967296 Jun 16 15:25 chgsms01-04191d0a.vswp

-rw------- 1 root root 10737418240 Jun 16 15:24 chgsms01_1-flat.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 342 Jun 16 15:28 chgsms01_1.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 107374182400 Jun 16 15:24 chgsms01_2-flat.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 344 Jun 16 15:28 chgsms01_2.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 17179869184 Jun 16 15:01 chgsms01_3-flat.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 342 Jun 16 15:28 chgsms01_3.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 107374182400 Jun 16 15:25 chgsms01_4-flat.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 344 Jun 16 15:28 chgsms01_4.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 21474836480 Jun 17 03:33 chgsms01-flat.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 8664 Jun 16 15:26 chgsms01.nvram

-rw------- 1 root root 340 Jun 16 15:28 chgsms01.vmdk

-rw------- 1 root root 0 Feb 19 2008 chgsms01.vmsd

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2263 Jun 18 10:03 chgsms01.vmx

-rw------- 1 root root 252 Jun 18 10:03 chgsms01.vmxf

-rw-rr 1 root root 192451 Nov 4 2008 vmware-13.log

-rw-rr 1 root root 8174 Mar 20 2008 vmware-14.log

-rw-rr 1 root root 8174 Mar 20 2008 vmware-15.log

-rw-rr 1 root root 94849 Jan 28 09:52 vmware-16.log

-rw-rr 1 root root 100915 May 20 09:00 vmware-17.log

-rw-rr 1 root root 45528 Jun 16 15:25 vmware-18.log

-rw-rr 1 root root 35220 Jun 18 10:03 vmware.log

#

[azn2kew]

Your flat.vmdk files are the disk files that you created for each virtual machine drives. It should be located at your virtual machine folder under your storage. It stores along with other files such as delta.vmdk, *.vmdk etc..

You can check it out by using SSH as mentioned above or use WinSCP to browse through it too. If you're experiencing problems with your VMDK files, I would suggest checking out www.sanbarrow.com website he has some good tools for diagnostic and tricks to fix them.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

VMware vExpert 2009

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant