Unable to delete a snapshot - Urgent can not backup the server

[samuk]

I have a Exchange server which failed and we have been working to restore \ recover it. During the recovery process the backups were stopped.

Two snapshots of the server were created, during the recovery process.

The server has a number of drives installed, and the log files are filling up the C drive and i need to take a backup of the server to clear these.

Veeam have advised i need to remove the snapshots before i can backup the server.

When i use the VI client to delete the snapshots i get this error:

File

Server has the following drives allocated:

30GB

450GB

106GB

1TB - temp recovery group

Any help appreciated.

Sam

[samuk]

Maximum file files for the two datastores:

512GB - This is where the 30GB, 450GB and 106GB volumes are

2048GB - This is where the 1TB volume is

I have also noticed, when i right click the server and now go to snapshot manager it does not show the two snapshots that were created...??

When i browse the datastore i do see the snapshot vmdk's

[rebootuser]

Hi Sam. Generally if you create yet another snapshot and then delete this, all previous snapshots should also be deleted (http://virtrix.blogspot.com/2007/06/vmware-dreadful-sticky-snapshot.html)

Regards

Owen

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[samuk]

Hi Owen,

I have had HP on the phone, The snapshots were created before i attached the 1TB volume to the server.

I tried to take another snapshot, but got the same message above.

They have said that i need to remove the 1TB volume from the server, take a snapshot and then remove the snapshot and re-attach the 1TB volume.

The datastore with the snapshots has a block size of 2MB and the 1TB volume is on a 8Mb block size datastore

[rebootuser]

Is the 1TB drive a virtual disk or mapped RAW? Could you power down the vm, disconnect 1TB drive, delete snapshots and then reconnect 1TB?

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[samuk]

No the 1Tb volume is a datastore.

I can not unmount at present as this is where the exchange recovery files are.

I also think creating and deleting the snapshot when the server is off is safer, unless you think otherwise.

I can not shut the server down untill i have a backup. So using windows backup now to backup exchange..

[a_p_]

Which version of ESX are you using?

Version 4.x does not allow you to add a virtual disk which is larger than the block size on the base datastore supports!

This means, with 2MB block size on the base datastore (where the VM's vmx and snapshot files are stored) it will allow you to add virtual disks up to 512 GB - 512 Bytes (BTW, to allow snapshots the max. size is 508 GB).

I agree with you to better remove the snapshots while the VM is shut down. You would have to shut it down anyway to remove the 1TB HDD.

Also make sure you have enough free disk space to delete the snapshots! What sizes are they and how much free space do you have on your datastore?

André

[samuk]

Hi,

I have 334 GB free on the data store. see attached for file sizes.

Thanks for pointing that out. You think i will be ok?

[a_p_]

The free size is absolutely sufficient for a "Delete All". You may need about 30 GB.

If you are on version 3.5 and get a timeout during the snapshot deletion, don't worry. Let the system run until the snapshot files are gone.

André

[samuk]

thanks, esx 4 is being used..

this is scheduled for the weekend.

Sam