How do I resize existing HD within a VM/vApp?

[samusarun]

We have a new vCloud 1.5.1 environment on a vsphere 5.0 U1 infrastructure. I've set up a test Organization and a few VMs and I've come across something that I can't seem to do within vCloud Director --resize a HD within a VM/vApp.

As an Organization Admin (not the vcloud site admin), I want to resize the HD of a vApp/VM but can't. The size of the HD is greyed out. This is the case for existing and new HDs that are added to the VM. I can set the size of a new HD when it is added, however, when I want to resize it (grow or shrink) the size of the drive is greyed out.

I've tried the following:

VM powered on, VM powered off, (as site admin) putting the vApp in maintenance mode, stopping the vApp, etc

No settings seem to change that will allow me to adjust the size of the HD. I can adjust the size within VC, but I want my Org Admins to have this right without needing inside the VC.

Any suggestions?

[mreferre]

Disk resizing is in the vCloud API but it isn't (in the current release) exposed in the UI.

Massimo.

[mreferre · Accepted solution]

Just saw this: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/325838

Massimo.

[samusarun]

Massimo,

Thank you for the link. It looks like unless I use vcenter to resize the virtual disks, that the methods listed in the provided link are too complex and convuluted for the system admins that I wanted to pass this task off to. I was hoping that I could offload that "duty" to the system admins within vCloud Director. Unfortunately, it now looks like I have to keep that responsibility in my wheel-house or allow them access to the VC (not sure we want to open this pandora's box yet).

Sam

[mreferre]

I understand the problem Sam. We are well aware of the pain it creates is all i am allowed to say.

Sent from my iPhone

[samusarun]

One more question - if you don't mind. (just for clarification). Most of the documents that I've read for vCloud Director, really seem to push you away from making changes within virtual center (especially network related). But if I do make changes to the VM within the "Edit VM Settings" properties windows inside vCenter, will I break or cause any harm to the VM in regards to its' relationship with vCloud Director?

[_morpheus_]

Whatever you do in VC will cause the VM to come out of sync with VCD, which can cause future operations to fail.