Workstation 7 vmware-vdiskmanager

[RP1946]

Opensuse 11.2 running workstation 7 (latest update). I'm trying to expand the virtual disk of a Linux guest, but it doesn't matter what -x ??GB size I use, it always fails with an error about not enough disk space. The virtual disk is 405GB and there's 240GB free. I really don't want to wipe everything and start with a new guest Linux install. For a virtualization product this should be easier.

Frustrated User

[AWo]

Please post the exact syntax you use.

Have you tried it this way already? http://pubs.vmware.com/ws7_ace26/ws_user/ws_disk_expand.html#1022548

AWo

VCP 3 & 4

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[RP1946]

vmware-vdiskmanager -x 600GB somedirectory/Linux.vmdk

Also tried the method in the gui - but it fails with the same error

[a_p_]

Not sure whether this applies to the command line tool, but VMware does a "FreeSpaceCheck" in their workstation products (which really makes sense). Depending on the size of your disk and the remaining capacity after expanding, the remaining free disk space could be too low.

Personally I suggest to be very careful when a disk fills up more than 90%.

André

[RP1946]

Workstation indicates the current size is 365.7GB, Max 405GB, and system free is 241GB. Even if I try and expand it by 1GB it fails with disk is full error message.

[wila]

Hi,

You don't have any snapshots open I hope?

It is most likely because you setup your virtual disk as a single monolithic disk.

See also: http://sanbarrow.com/vmdk/monlithicversussplit.html

It might actually show the same problem for a split disk, but I would expect it to work OK then.

A procedure like this needs to be atomic, meaning that if it goes wrong, you should still have enough data to reconstruct your original data. That basically means that this procedure needs to be able to go back if extending the disk goes awry.

With a 400GB disk that means having more as 400GB (+extra for new size) free space available.

Hope this helps,

--
Wil
_____________________________________________________
VI-Toolkit & scripts wiki at http://www.vi-toolkit.com

Contributing author at blog www.planetvm.net

Twitter: @wilva

[RP1946]

No snapshots and yes it's a single file. Even if I delete linux guest files and shrink it's filesystems by 50%, workstation won't defragment/compress the vmdk file.

[wila]

A monolithic file really needs at least as much free space in order to shrink to succeed. I know.. it's a pain.

If you already shrunk it by half and can't get more free disk space, then you could opt for using a workaround.

Create a new virtual disk of the target size you want to have. Boot from a liveCD such as systemrescueCD and clone disk 1 to disk 2... Shut down. Remove disk 1 from the VM. Then boot with the new disk.

When everything is fine, delete disk 1

It's not the easiest, but it does work.

--
Wil
_____________________________________________________
VI-Toolkit & scripts wiki at http://www.vi-toolkit.com

Contributing author at blog www.planetvm.net

Twitter: @wilva