Invalid desination disk format 'eagerzeroedthick'

[gdesmo]

I cant clone a disk with -d eagerzeroedthick format. What am I doing wrong with the syntax?

root@cedevesx02:/vmfs/volumes/dev6/W2K3entgolden # ls

vmware-1.log vmware-3.log vmware-5.log W2K3entgolden-flat.vmdk W2K3entgolden.vmdk W2K3entgolden.vmx

vmware-2.log vmware-4.log vmware.log W2K3entgolden.nvram W2K3entgolden.vmsd W2K3entgolden.vmxf

root@cedevesx02:/vmfs/volumes/dev6/W2K3entgolden # vmkfstools -i "/vmfs/volumes/dev6/W2K3entgolden/W2K3entgolden.vmdk" -d eagerzeroedthick "/vmfs/volumes/dev13/rcinvmx01a/rcinvmx01a.vmdk"

Invalid desination disk format 'eagerzeroedthick'

root@cedevesx02:/vmfs/volumes/dev6/W2K3entgolden # vmkfstools -i /vmfs/volumes/dev6/W2K3entgolden/W2K3entgolden.vmdk -d eagerzeroedthick /vmfs/volumes/dev6/rcinvmx01a/rcinvmx01a.vmdk

Invalid desination disk format 'eagerzeroedthick'

root@cedevesx02:/vmfs/volumes/dev6/W2K3entgolden # vmkfstools -i dev6W2K3entgolden/W2K3entgolden.vmdk -d eagerzeroedthick dev6rcinvmx01a/rcinvmx01a.vmdk

DiskLib_Check() failed for source disk The system cannot find the file specified (25).

root@cedevesx02:/vmfs/volumes/dev6/W2K3entgolden # vmkfstools -i "[dev6|http://communities.vmware.com/community-document-picker.jspa?communityID=&subject=dev6]W2K3entgolden/W2K3entgolden.vmdk" -d eagerzeroedthick "[dev6|http://communities.vmware.com/community-document-picker.jspa?communityID=&subject=dev6]rcinvmx01a/cinvmx01a.vmdk"

DiskLib_Check() failed for source disk The system cannot find the file specified (25).

[AntonVZhbankov]

ESX 4.0

root@localhost vm1 # vmkfstools -c 100m /vmfs/volumes/Storage1/vm1/vm1-1.vmdk

root@localhost vm1 # vmkfstools -i /vmfs/volumes/Storage1/vm1/vm1-1.vmdk -d eagerzeroedthick /vmfs/volumes/Storage1/vm1/vm1-1-clone.vmdk

Destination disk format: VMFS eagerzeroedthick

Cloning disk '/vmfs/volumes/Storage1/vm1/vm1-1.vmdk'...

Clone: 100% done.

"ESX Server 3 Configuration Guide" says on page 290 that there is no option eagerzeroedthick for cloning vmdks in ESX3

-i --importfile <srcfile> -d --diskformat

rdm:<device>|rdmp:<device>|

raw:<device>|thin|2gbsparse|monosparse|monoflat

But on next page it is said that -d suboption includes eagerzeroedthick.

There is one restriction for eagerzeroedthick, you can not use this format on NFS datastores (page 289).

---

VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[gdesmo]

So there is a documentaion error somewhere then.

"Use the eagerzeroedthick format when you create disks for clustered virtual

machines. By default, the VI Client or vmkfstools create disks in zeroedthick

format. You can convert a disk to eagerzeroedthick format by importing,

cloning, or inflating the disk. Disks deployed from a template are also in

eagerzeroedthick format"

Above is in the vi3 clustering document page17.

So my only option is to create a new vm (thick disk) and not clone?

[AntonVZhbankov]

It looks like you can create eagerzeroedthick disk and clone it, but you can not clone zeroedthick to eagerzeroedthick on 3.5.

So, you have to create eagerzeroedthick disk manually and then add it to VM as existing.

There is definitely a mistake somewhere: in admin guide or in vmkfstools.

---

VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[gdesmo]

So are the above errors indicating I have a zeroedthick that I cannot clone to eagerzeroedthick?

[AntonVZhbankov]

Fact is that vmkfstools does not support -d eagerzeroedthick option, so you can't clone disk to eagerzeroedthick no matter what disk you have, thick, thin or zeroedthick.

---

VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[truo1van]

The VMwre doc quote is correct. I tried a few tim verify and it worked ie:

In 3i, via CV2.5:

1) Create a dummy VM with disk, to be shared in cluster, setting them as SCSI 1:0, 1:1 etc..

2) Set the SCSI controler (for the shared disks) type to be share by cluster VMs in same host (I was setting up clusters in box, 2 VMs in same host)

Note: Once done, you can find that wont be able to start the VM, errored about disk needs be in thick format - its OK

3) Clone the dummy VM

4) The clone VM would have the disks in (2) in eagerzerothink format.

Fire up the clone VM. It should start

5) Go back to the dummy VM, remove the disks created.

6) Re-create the shared disks by pointing to the vmdk files, created by the clone VM in (3). Set corect SCSI 1:0, 1:1 etc.. and SCSI share type

Make sure only fire up 1 VM at a time, check the share partitions. Once MSCS installed, can have both VMs on

As for vsphere, no need to do the above step. When creating the shared disks for clsters nodes, just select it as to be used for Fault tolerance.

I used VC4, and it worked. Must have created the disk in eagerzeorthink format.

chrs,

VanT

[vmw-sfraser]

Hi gdesmo,

Give this syntax a try, it should work for you:

vmkfstools -d eagerzeroedthick -i "vmfs/volumes/dev6/W2K3entgolden/W2K3entgolden.vmdk" "vmfs/volumes/dev13/rcinvmx01a/rcinvmx01a.vmdk"

Cheers!

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