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New page: VMware Server supports both ''growable'' and ''pre-allocated'' virtual disks. In addition, the disks can be specified to be contained in a single file, or divided into multiple 2GB files. ...
VMware Server supports both ''growable'' and ''pre-allocated'' virtual disks. In addition, the disks can be specified to be contained in a single file, or divided into multiple 2GB files.
The virtual disk type is defined at the point that the disk is created. Whilst this is generally not a problem, VMware Server does not support the shrinking of pre-allocated virtual disks. Before a pre-allocated disk can be reduced in size, therefore, it is necessary to first convert it to a ''growable'' disk. This can be performed using the Virtual Disk Manager tool ('''vmware-vdiskmanager'').
== The vmware-vdiskmanager tool ==
The VMware Disk Management Tool is a command line tool which is installed by default with VMware Server. The executable file is named ''vmware-vdiskmanager'' and is located in ''\Program Files\VMware\VMware Server'' on Windows hosts, and ''/usr/bin'' on Linux systems.
The tool accepts a number of command-line arguments, a full listing of which can be obtained by running vmware-vdiskmanager with no options.
<pre>
vmware-vdiskmanager
</pre>
== Virtual Disk Types ==
The type to which a virtual disk is to be converted is specified using the -t flag, together with the target disk type. This is represented by a number as outlined in the following table:
<table border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="E3B" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-color:#cccccc; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; margin-bottom:20px">
<tr bgcolor="#cccccc" style="color:black" valign="top">
<th>
<p>Type Identifier</p>
</th>
<th>
<p>Description</p>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>0</p>
</td>
<td>
Growable (single .vmdk file)
</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#e9e9e6">
<td>1</td>
<td>Growable (multiple 2GB files)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Pre-allocated (single file)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>3</p>
</td>
<td>
Pre-allocated (multiple 2GB files)
</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#e9e9e6">
<td>4</td>
<td>Pre-allocated ESX</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Compressed for streaming</td>
</tr>
</table>
== Performing the Type Conversion ==
<pre>
vmware-vdiskmanager -r win2008-1_2.vmdk -t 0 new.vmdk
Creating disk 'new.vmdk'
Convert: 100% done.
Virtual disk conversion successful.
</pre>
The virtual disk type is defined at the point that the disk is created. Whilst this is generally not a problem, VMware Server does not support the shrinking of pre-allocated virtual disks. Before a pre-allocated disk can be reduced in size, therefore, it is necessary to first convert it to a ''growable'' disk. This can be performed using the Virtual Disk Manager tool ('''vmware-vdiskmanager'').
== The vmware-vdiskmanager tool ==
The VMware Disk Management Tool is a command line tool which is installed by default with VMware Server. The executable file is named ''vmware-vdiskmanager'' and is located in ''\Program Files\VMware\VMware Server'' on Windows hosts, and ''/usr/bin'' on Linux systems.
The tool accepts a number of command-line arguments, a full listing of which can be obtained by running vmware-vdiskmanager with no options.
<pre>
vmware-vdiskmanager
</pre>
== Virtual Disk Types ==
The type to which a virtual disk is to be converted is specified using the -t flag, together with the target disk type. This is represented by a number as outlined in the following table:
<table border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="E3B" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-color:#cccccc; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; margin-bottom:20px">
<tr bgcolor="#cccccc" style="color:black" valign="top">
<th>
<p>Type Identifier</p>
</th>
<th>
<p>Description</p>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>0</p>
</td>
<td>
Growable (single .vmdk file)
</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#e9e9e6">
<td>1</td>
<td>Growable (multiple 2GB files)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Pre-allocated (single file)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>3</p>
</td>
<td>
Pre-allocated (multiple 2GB files)
</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#e9e9e6">
<td>4</td>
<td>Pre-allocated ESX</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Compressed for streaming</td>
</tr>
</table>
== Performing the Type Conversion ==
<pre>
vmware-vdiskmanager -r win2008-1_2.vmdk -t 0 new.vmdk
Creating disk 'new.vmdk'
Convert: 100% done.
Virtual disk conversion successful.
</pre>
