Thick virtual disk format used in GUI

[kgottleib]

I understand that VMware's default thick virtual disk format when working in the GUI is lazy-zeroed, is this also the case when converting thin to think during a migration process? I want to start using eager-zeroed disks, already built new templates with them, but would also like to convert all my existing disks to this format the easiest way possible and hopefully without powering the VMs down.

[gaspipe · Accepted solution]

AFAIK the only way to convert disks from thin to thick while the VM is running is by performing a storage vMotion, where you can select disk format. Otherwise power off the VM, select browse datastore and inflate each .vmdk.

According to http://communities.vmware.com/message/1269427#1269427 the manual inflation will create a thick eager zeroed disk.

[kgottleib]

thanks Gaspipe, exactly what I was looking for. For some reason VMware documentation doesn't pay close attention to these details, which to me are important in reference to proper optimization. FOr installations with lower licensing levels vmkfstools will be the only answer..