GBs vmdk reporting less than a Meg

[GrantLui]

Hi,

When I browse the datastore of one of my VM files using datastore browser, the vmdk file for that VM is reporting incorrect size of 0.47Kb.

The file is less than a meg in size. but vmdk should be over GBs.

Any information relating to this is greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

[VTsukanov]

It look like you look at the descriptor file, take a look in same directory, there should be a file _flat.vmdk roughly the same size as your virtual hard drive

[GrantLui]

Hi, thanks! I understand the concept of the descriptor file, however it is only this particular VM has such a problem, as for the others, the vSphere will read the descriptor as the whole flat.vmdk and reporting a correct provisioned size, except this one.

[a_p_]

Do you see both files (the -flat.vmdk) in the datastore browser?

If so, check the descriptor file, whether there is something wrong with the name of the flat file or with the descriptor file at all.

André

[GrantLui]

Hi Andre,

No, I don't see both .vmdk and -flat.vmdk in the datastore browser. However both files are visible in the CLI console.

The VM and power up without problem and the vmdk can be mounted by other VMs under the vSphere client. Except it is not reporting a correct provisioned size.

What could go wrong?

Grant

[VTsukanov]

If you have access to the console, you can compare the file permissions (ls -la) for the files *. vmdk & *- flat.vmdk.

[a_p_]

Grant,

please post the output of "ls -alsi *.vmdk" as well as the vmdk descriptor file. Attach the vmdk file, rather than cut & paste the contents.

André

[GrantLui]

Hi Andre,

Thank you very much for your suggestion, attached, please find the descriptor vmdk file for your reference.

16785284 0 -rw------ 1 root root 2199023254528 Oct 7 01:42 smbsrv.skynet.com.hk-flat.vmdk

20979588 64 -rw------ 1 root root 515 Oct 6 13:44 smbsrv.skynet.com.hk.vmdk

Thanks very much and I look forward for your further suggetions soon.

Cheers!

Grant

[a_p_]

As far as I can see, there's nothing wrong in the descriptor file. The only thing I'm not sure, is how ddb.thinProvisioned = "0" came into this file. Usually this entry only exists for thin provisioend disk with a value of "1". However I tried to reproduce everything on ESXi4 and even on ESXi3 and everything was fine on both systems (even HWversion 7 did not make any problems on ESXi3).

What you can try, is to rename the descriptor file and create a new one using the description in http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1002511

André

[GrantLui]

Hi Andre, thanks for your information, do you mean u created the same size VM on ur host but there was no similar issue just like what I described?

[a_p_]

Well, I created a smaller VM because I don't have 2 TB minus 1024 Bytes free on any of my datastores and also don't have a datastore with an 8 MB block size in my test environment. What I did was modifying the vmdk with the different entries to see if one of them causes the issue. The size of your vmdk should be ok, since the maximum vmdk size is 2 TB - 512 Bytes.

BTW: Which version/build of ESX(i) do you use?

André

[GrantLui]

Hi Andre,

Sorry for this late, I'm using ESXi 4 U2, haven't solve the problem yet.

Grant