What's the Maximum Size of a Virtual Machine Hard Disk ?

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. I am using VMware Workstation Player 12.5.

My host machine is Windows 10 with hard disk 1TB (1000GB).

My guest machine is Oracle Linux 5 with virtual hard disk 100GB currently.

I need to expand my virtual hard disk 100GB to the maximum size. I have checked the 2 links below:

1) https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc708315(v=ws.10).aspx  indicates:

The maximum size for a virtual hard disk is 2,040 gigabytes (GB). However, any virtual hard disk attached to the IDE controller cannot exceed 127 gigabytes (GB). To support a larger virtual hard disk size, attach the virtual hard disk to a SCSI adapter.

2) https://www.vmware.com/support/ws45/doc/disks_config_ws.html  indicates:

IDE virtual disks can be as large as 128GB. SCSI virtual disks can be as large as 256GB. Depending on the size of the virtual disk and the host operating system, VMware Workstation creates one or more files to hold each virtual disk.

The first link indicates max size 2040GB.

The second link indicates max size 256GB.

My questions are:

1) What's the max size of a Virtual Hard Disk ?

2) Either 2040GB or 256GB is not enough for my Virtual Machine as a Server. Can we migrate the Virtual Hard Disk to a large hard disk of physical machine ?

Thanks in advance.

[wila]

Hi,

Those two links are both old..

For GPT partition based disks you can go to 8TB.

See:

VMware Workstation 12 Pro Documentation Center - Specifying disk capacity for a Virtual Machine

and in particular this quote:

You can set a size between 0.001 GB and 8 TB for a virtual disk file. You can also select whether to store a virtual disk as a single file or split it into multiple files

--

Wil

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. Thanks a lot for replying.

Th max size of virtual hard disk is 8TB.

When my Virtual Machine get to Production Environment, 8TB Virtual hard disk is still not enough for doing business.

My question is:

Can we migrate a Virtual Machine into a large disk size of a physical machine like host machine ?

Thanks in advance.

[wila]

Hi,

Not on VMware Player no, you should be looking at VMware vSphere if you want to run virtual machines like that.

VMware Player isn't the platform for it.

Here's the link to the VMware vSphere maximum configurations:

https://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere6/r65/vsphere-65-configuration-maximums.pdf

Virtual disk size 62 TB

--

Wil

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. Thanks a lot for replying. Let's expand the Virtual Hard Disk at this time.

My Host Machine is Windows 10. Guest Machine is Oracle Linux 5. I am using VMware Workstation Player 12.5.

I have expanded the Virtual Hard Disk from 100GB to 200GB successfully.

The next thing is to use the ISO Image file "Gparted" to repartition the File System.

When startup VM in VMPalyer, I hit "esc" key to get to "Boot Menu", but "esc" key cannot get to "Boot Menu".

F2 key for enter Setup.

F12 key for Network Boot.

The F2 key and F12 key are not working either !

In the past, I use Host machine Windows 7 and VMPlayer 3 to run VMs, Hitting "esc" key got to "Boot Menu" successfully.

I am not sure what's wrong in Windows 10 and VMware Workstation Player 12.5.

My question is:

How to have "esc" key get to "Boot Menu" to expand the Virtual Hard Disk in Windows 10 ?

Thanks in advance.

[RDPetruska]

Have you clicked in the VM window before pressing the function keys?

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. Thanks a lot for replying.

I clicked on the VM Window and then hit "esc" key, it get to Boot Menu below:

1) *Removable Devices

2) *Hard Drive

3) CD-ROM Drive

4) Network boot from Intel 1000

<Enter Setup>

I use "Down" key to select 3) CD-ROM Drive and enter, but it boots Operating system Oracle Linux 5.

It does not boot GNOME Partition Editor.

I have selected VM Settings > CD/DVD (IDE) to use ISO Image file:

C:\MyDownload\gparted-live-0.18.0-2-i486.iso

In Windows 7, the file "gparted-live-0.18.0-2-i486.iso" is working successfully in VMplayer 3 in the past.

But in Windows 10, the file is not working in VMware Workstation 12 Player.

The current version of GParted is gparted-live-0.27.0-1-i686.iso in the link below:

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php

But the current version of the file gparted-live-0.27.0-1-i686.iso cannot be downloaded into my computer.

My questions are:

1) Why selecting CD-ROM Drive doesn't boot to GNOME Partition Editor ?

2) Is the file gparted-live-0.18.0-2-i486.iso working correctly in VMware Workstation 12 Player and Windows 10 ?

Thanks in advance.

[wila]

Hi,

Did you connect the virtual CDrom too?

It has to be connected in order to boot.

Another reason why it would not boot might be that your iso file is corrupt.

Compare the MD5/SHA1 hash values from the downloaded iso with what the website supplies.

Btw, personally I also use system rescue cd.

--

Wil

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. Thanks a lot for replying.

In VMPlayer 12 > Oracle Linux 5 > Player > Manage > VM Settings > CD/DVD (IDE) > Connection > Use ISO Image File:

By default, this ISO Image file is C:\VMwareWorkstationPlayer12.5\linux.iso

All we need to do is change this file to C:\MyDownload\gparted-live-0.18.0-2-i486.iso.

In Windows 7 and VMplayer 3, Guest OS is Windows XP. In VM > Settings > HD > Option, default Guest OS type is MS Windows. We need to reset Guest OS type from MS Windows to Linux. Then it boot to GNOME Partition Editor successfully. I did not connect any virtual CD-ROM. After repartition is finished, we reset Guest OS type from Linux back to MS Windows.

In Windows 10, Guest OS is Oracle Linux 5. In VM > Settings > HD > Option, default Guest OS type is Linux. I am not sure whether need to reset Guest OS type or not.

The file gparted-live-0.18.0-2-i486.iso is older version that is not sure working in Windows 10 and VMPlayer 12.

My questions are:

1)  How to connect with Virtual CD-ROM to boot ?

2) Do we need to reset Guest OS type in VM > Settings > HD > Option  for Oracle Linux 5 ?

Thanks in advance.

[wila]

Hi,

You can connect/disconnect the CDrom. If it is disconnected then you might have to connect it before using.
There can be a variety of reasons on why it would be disconnected. For example it is the last step in a vmware tools install.

With the VM shut down, click on "Edit Virtual Machine Settings"

Select "CD/DVD ...."

The two checkboxes on the right "Connected" and "Connect at power on" should be checked.

--

Wil

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. Thanks a lot for replying.

Now, in Boot Menu 3) CD-ROM boot to GNOME PARTITION Editor as below:

Partition: /dev/sda2

File System: lvm2 PV

Mount Point: VolGroup00

Label: /boot

Size: 99.85GB

Used: 99.85GB

Unused: 0 B

Flags: lvm

I right-click on this line and Resize. I type in new size 200 000 MiB and then Resize it.

The message comes up: All Operations successfully completed.

The a few numbers become below:

Partition: /dev/sda2

File System: lvm2 PV

Mount Point: VolGroup00

Label: /boot

Size: 195.31GB

Used: 99.84GB

Unused: 95.47GiB

Flags: lvm

As you see above, the file system VolGroup00 has grown from 100GB to 200GB.

I quit Gparted and reboot VM Oracle Linux 5 and login. I have checked the File System as below:

[user@localhost /]# df

File System: /dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00

1k-blocks: 99444128

Used: 94308176

Available: 2848

Use%: 100%

Mounted On: /

The above numbers are the same with the numbers before expanding Virtual Hard Disk.

The file system is still 100GB and is used 100%. The file system doesn't come up 200GB after expanding VHD.

My question is:

Why the command # df doesn't come up filesystem 200GB after expanding Virtual Hard Disk ? How to fix it ?

Thanks in advance.

[wila]

Hi,

You never mentioned you where using lvm.... that's not a file system it is a logical volume and comes with its own logic and set of commands.

I don't know if gparted supports lvm partitions, at least I am not aware it is compatible with lvm, looks like that part worked though.

Here's a link to more info on lvm:

How to Manage and Use LVM (Logical Volume Management) in Ubuntu

As oracle is red hat based, they most likely also have copied their graphical logical volume manager.

That's to be found within the guest OS -> System -> Administration -> Logical Volume Management

--

Wil

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. Thanks a lot for replying.

I am not using Ubuntu.

The exact version of my Guest Operating System is Oracle Linux Server 2.6.18-371.0.0.0.1el5xen .

There are 3 lines in GNome Partition Editor after resize as below:

Partition: File Systems: MountPoint: Label: Size:         Used:       UnUsed:   Flags:

/dev/sda1   ext3                 ...                /boot   149.01MiB  42.19MiB  106.82MiB  boot

/dev/sda2   lvm2 pv            VolGroup00    ..        195.31GiB  99.84GiB  95.47GiB    lvm

Unallocated unallocated      ...                            4.54GiB      ...            ...              ...

I am using the File System /dev/mapper/VolGroup00-LogVol00 that is full currently.

The Flag for File System ext3 is "boot".

The Flag for File System VolGroup00 is "lvm".

In the past, I expanded VM Windows XP in Host Windows 7, the Partition is /dev/sda1, the File System is ntfs and Flag is boot.

After resize the Partition, I reboot VM Windows XP, its File System is checking and verifying by 3 stages. Finally, C drive was expanded successfully.

Now, in VM Oracle Linux 5, the Flag is lvm. When I reboot Oracle Linux 5, I don't see anything checking its File System and verifying disk.

I don't understand the difference between the flag "boot" and the flag "lvm".

My question is:

Do we need to do something else for File System with Flag "lvm" in Oracle Linux 5 to expand VHD ? How to solve this issue ?

Thanks in advance.

[wila]

Hi,

The link to ubuntu was just an explanation about LVM.

The relevant part in my reply for you was (slightly edited to hopefully clarify more):

As oracle Linux is red hat based, they most likely also have copied their graphical logical volume manager.

That's to be found within the Linux guest OS main menu : System -> Administration -> Logical Volume Management

That's where the graphical user interface is for extending your partition.

--

Wil

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. Thanks a lot for replying.

I checked Oracle Linux 5 System > Administration > Logical Volume Management

The properties for Volume Group VolGroup00 are below:

Volume Group Name: VolGroup00

Volume Group Size: 195.31G

Available Space:        95.47G

... ...

As you see above, the Volume Group Size has been expanded from 100GB to 200GB, but the Available Space is still 100GB.

I don't understand Logical Volume Management in Oracle Linux 5.

My question is:

What to do in Logical Volume Management to expand the available space from 100GB to 200GB that is the same size with Volume Group Size ?

Thanks in advance.

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

In your Logical Volume Manager, select on the left Logical View (not the physical view)

Open the item that has your root partition.

Click "Edit Properties" then either click "Use Remaining" or adjust the slider.

Click OK.

--

Wil

[user1234567]

Folk,

Hello. Thanks a lot for replying.

After click "Use Remaining" in Logical Volume Manager, Group Volume Size is changed.

Now, I check the file system using command #df, the file system expanded space comes up !

The issue is solved. The point is that MS Windows File System is different from Linux File System.

Thank you very much for great help !

[wila]

Hi,

Yes windows is different as linux.

Besides that using lvm or having your partitions directly on the disks is different as well.

If you want to use more space next time, then know that you do not need the gparted step inbetween.

You can just make your disk bigger in VMware and then use the bigger disk by claiming that space directly from within the Logical Volume Manager.

--

Wil