Why am I unable to decrease the size of a vmdk using ESXi 3.5 153875???

[Ubuntu111]

I am unable to increase the vmdk size of an E drive vmdk. I do not receive any error. I am trying to do this from VIC 2.5. I am going to edit settings and then changing the size from 45GB to 35GB. The status goes from In Progress to Completed within a few seconds. The ESX host is a DL580 G3 and is using local storage (198.50GB RAID5 SCSI array) I am running ESXi 3.5 Build 153875. The VM is running Server 2003 Standard SP2. I have tried increasing the vmdk size with the VM powered on as well as powered off. The page file and the OS are on the C drive. There are no snapshots for this VM. VMWare tools are up-to-date on this VM. The only thing that is located on the E drive vmdk is a bunch of shared folders. No apps or databases reside on this vmdk.

Any ideas on why this isn't working? I have been able to do this on other VMs on other ESX hosts. Thanks.

[vm_arch]

Are you INCREASING or DECREASING - as you seem to have the two terms intermixed in your question.

(your question says Decrease, and mentions going from 45 to 35Gb... but then talks about increasing it)

INCREASING the size of a VMDK is easy - and usually causes no probs

DECREASING the size of a VMDK can be problematic - not for the least of which being windows (in the VM) tends to write all over the disk (and indeed puts some files towards the end of the disk file... if there are files in the VMDK towards the end of the file then it can give an error when you try to shrink it)

Read THIS website for instructions to SHRINK a virtual disk:

[Troy_Clavell]

also, remember if you are trying to increase the size of the disk through the VIC, if your VM has snapshots, it won't increase. So, ensure all snapshots are committed before trying to extend the HDD.

As for shrinking a disk, I feel, the best method is to use VMware Converter

see this link as well

http://vsphere-land.com/tips-tricks/re-sizing-virtual-disks

[vm_arch]

I would concur with Troy's comment that vmconverter is likely the easiest way ever to shrink a vm... will at least not cause you to prematurely grey

[vmw-sfraser]

You cannot decrease the size of a virtual disk with vmkfstools -X in ESX 3. In doing this, you are effectively cutting off the end of the disk, and if the file system in the guest is not properly prepared (shrunk), you will be cutting off the end of the filesystem, and most likely losing data.

Converter is definitely the easiest way to go.

There are 10 types of people in this world. Those who understand binary, and those who do not.