There are a few ways of doing it in vsphere, either from vcenter or commandline. This video shows perfectstorage running a reclaim operation in an esxhosted windows server 2008 guest in order to shrink a thinprovisioned vmdk. The windows server has 1 x 12gb thin provisioned vmdk and 1 x 30gb thin provisioned vmdk for the databases. Howto install vmware tools on a virtual esxi migrate e adapter to. Migrating from esxi to hyperv w mvmc it imagination. How to use vmware converter to import vms or vmdks into vsphere. In context however with the discussion about disk conversion, if you download the trial version of the server enterprise or platinum versions, it can perform v2v conversions and can do this quite well.
Shrinking thin disks isnt automatic operation, but the converter software can handle several jobs at the same time. Each hypervisor uses different virtual machine disk formats such as vmdk for vmware virtual disk and vhd for hyperv based virtual machine disks. Evaluate fullyfunctional vmware virtualization products. As shown in the screenshot, we can tell the vmdk is not an esxvsphere compatible vmdk for the following reasons. It is possible to convert volumes selectively to save disk space thin provisioned containers and time thick provisioned containers. If the intent is to replace the source thickprovisioned vmdk with a new thin provisioned one, make sure to use vmkfstools utility for that operation. Convert vmware vmdk disk format thin to thick vmware arena. Select vm which requires conversion and click next to continue. This so the vm host registers that its now a thin provisioned disks.
The tool utilizes the vddk virtual disk development kit api for the heavy lifting such as mounting, opening, and reading the vmdk selected. Apr 02, 2018 vmware vcenter converter standalone edition 6. It has the ability to expand convert a vmdk file out to an esxtype virtual disk. Im doing some research, and it just seems super straightforward. Having thin provisioned disk is usually no longer a performance problem so. To connect to the esxi host cli over ssh, you have to enable ssh service in the esxi settings and allow incoming connection on tcp22 port manage. Thick meaning a 120gb virtual hard drive will result in a 120gb vmdk file. When converting virtual machines, follow vmware v2v migration best practices. Converting vmware workstation thick disks vmdks to thin.
You may have heard that thin provisioned vms cant perform as well as those with fixed data sizes, but this is a myth. Download vmdk2vhd a simpletoconfigure software program designed to help you convert vmdk files to vhd format, useful if you want to test. Option 1 migrate the vm guest to another datastore and change the advanced configuration of the hard drive to thin provisioned. I decided i didnt want the ddrive 400gb thin and copied all its files to the edrive, removed the ddrive from windows partitions took it offline, shut down the vm, removed the 400gb hard drive from settings, and then browsed the datastore and deleted the vmdk file associated with that 400gb hard drive.
Get a free download of vmware vcenter converter to automate and simplify physical to virtual machine conversions as well as conversions between virtual machine formats. So i wanted to shrink my vmdk size as much as possible. May 14, 2018 the method of changing disk provisioning type using cli involves copying current vmdk file to a new thin provisioned disk and removing old thick disk. Nov 24, 2014 howto shrink a thin provisioned virtual disk vmdk posted by fgrehl on november 24, 2014 leave a comment 25 go to comments thin provisioned disks are a great feature to save capacity as you virtual machines filesystem will never use the full capacity. Changing the thick or thin provisioning of a virtual disk 2014832.
Feb 08, 2012 convert a vmware vmdk from thick provisioned to thin february 8, 2012 stemvision leave a comment go to comments there could be several reasons to change a. Download vmware products to evaluate including vmware vsphere, vmware vrealize operations, vmware fusion, and more. On closer inspection i found out that the vmdk was taking up 40 gb of space even though it is setup to do thin provisioning and the windows installation only took about 7 gb. Converts virtualbox vdi images to vmdk for vmware using a gui. Vddk and the vmwaremount tool does that for you by letting you mount the vmdk on your local machine. Let me know what you think about this tool by dropping in a comment below. Vmware vmdk shrink and storage thin provisioning 101. Power off the virtual machine, or disconnect the virtual disk you want to shrink.
As you may recall, your converted virtual disk consists of two files. Solved moving vmdk from windows 7 machine to vmware esxi. Hi all, recently one of my colleagues was downloading virtual machines from esxi to his windows 7 laptop and we ran into a strange problem. Vembu bdr suite has inbuilt vmware converter which helps to migrate the windows servers deployed in physical machines and vms from microsoft hyperv or other hypervisors to vmware vsphere environment with minimal downtime. Oct 16, 2018 the only workaround is to use the following command to convert the vmdk to thin again. This post tells the step by step procedure to shrink or resize the vmdk using vmware vcenter converter standalone. Vmdk thin provisioning is useful for virtual operations that are short on storage space. The process of creating the job through vmware converter is very fast and its securing that youre not altering the original vm in any way. Once you have that you can export it as an ova or ovf an ova is a singlefile version of the ovf set. Tools to convert virtual machine from vmdk to vhd format. It is based on vmware workstation version 10 and esxi version 5. Reduce vmdk size the easiest method is to use vmware converter.
Obviously, i also wanted to convert the disk format to thin in the process. The vm converter will fix any hal i have recently setup a esxi box and have successfully converted a hyperv vhd to a vmdk file. As i began creating and converting physical machines or from vmware workstation to our vsphere servers, i didnt really pay attention to whether they were set for thick or thin. Its also possible to perform the inverse operation. Starwind v2v converter does not support converting on a fly. In my previous post, i have explained how to resize vmdk using vmkfstools and also how to extend c. Centralized management console allows users to queue up and monitor multiple simultaneous remote, as well as local, conversions. In this scenario, thickdisk lazy zeroed part of hard disk 2. However, vmware vcenter converter only does conversion from a virtualization server is installed. A full guide on how to convert vhd to vmdk for free. It came as a surprise to me that the datastore file browser in vsphere 6. Specify the ip address and credentials for vmware esxi server and click next to continue. When you work with a thin disk provisionned vm, you are copying new files into. This is a simple graphical user interface windows utility for converting virtualbox vdi hard disk images into vmware vmdk hard disk images.
As i was using a gen 2 vm my disk was actully scsi, but i tested the default settings and they appear to work, so select ide and click next. To convert a thick provisioned hard disk to thin using command line console. Top 3 free tools to convert vhd to vmdk and vice versa. Thin provisioned disks allow it admins to store more virtual machines in the same datastore. In order to use a virtual disk that you have converted from the hyperv format with qemuimg or vboxmanage for a vm running on esxi, you have to convert that virtual disk from the workstation format to the esxi format. Therefore, in order to make it esxi compatible i have to use the vmkfstools with the following command. If you only have a vhd file, and want to convert it to vmdk format, winimage can come to rescue. When you dont have hardware that supports running esxi and you want to setup this os for testing or educational purposes then installing it in a vmware workstation virtual machine allows you to run the os on generic hardware. Past experience would say to use the vmware converter free to move it to the esx server. Solved vmdk to vhd conversion as simple as it looks. Dec 25, 2011 thick meaning a 120gb virtual hard drive will result in a 120gb vmdk file. It also supports conversion of thirdparty virtual machines like hyperv and kvm. Supported formats starwind v2v converter supports all modern formats such as vmdk, vhdxvhd, raw img, qcow2, and starwind native img files.
A tutorial explaining how to convert thick provisioned disks to thin ones and thin provisioned disks to thick ones with vmware vsphere web. In this example when cloning it will stop at 50% during the clone because our new vmdk is half the size of the original. Do you know if we can install cv agent on esxi hosts and back them up this way. This is a default behaviour, even if the initial vmdk file was thinprovisioned and the target datastore supports thin provisioning. Converting thick provision lazy zeroed disk to thin on. Virtual machine and physical machine migration is made simple with vembu vmbackup.
Starwind v2v converter can connect to the vcenter server via ip address. On the save as dialog box, change the output format under the save as type. As you can see on the screenshot, the post conversion of vmdk from the workstation format to the esxi format with vmkfstools has completed successfully and two new files have been created. With this converter, you can convert not just vmdk to vhd format, but also physical machines and. Specify the destination for the new disk, click next. Rightclick a virtual machine and click edit settings on the virtual hardware tab, expand hard disk and check the type field to exit the wizard, click cancel to open the datastore management panel, click the datastores tab, and click a datastore from the list. Howto convert a vmdk from thick to thin provisioning on. With this converter, you can convert not just vmdk to vhd format, but also physical machines and disks to hyperv hosts. Lets take an example you have been given a task to create a virtual machine with one vmdk disk of thin provisioned format. Convert thick provisioned disk to thin and vice versa on esxi. Starwind v2v converter technical paper resource library. Posted by mohammed raffic on last updated dec 22, 2014 at 7. Jul 31, 2014 download vmdk2vhd a simpletoconfigure software program designed to help you convert vmdk files to vhd format, useful if you want to test vmware virtual hard disks into virtual server and. So the tool is not free tool install and run winimage go to disk in the menu bar and select convert virtual hard disk image.
Here are the steps to convert a thick vmdk file to thin. Sep 06, 2012 so i wanted to shrink my vmdk size as much as possible. In case the vm has active snapshots, either delete them prior to the conversioin, or specify the current snapshots. Winimage is a shareware but available for free evaluation use for up to 30 days. Migrate the vm guest to another datastore and change the advanced configuration of the hard drive to thin provisioned.
To convert the vm from vmware esxi server, choose the necessary option and click next to continue. The link for the download of vddk is attached below. Performing p2v and v2v migration with vmware converter. How to esxi tutorials, it and virtualization tutorials, vmware esxi 4. It works both ways, converting from and to any selected format, thus having better functionality than similar converters. However, when it comes to vmware workstation, there isnt an option in the gui. Thin meaning the vmdk file will grow based on the actual used space of the virtual hard drive. How to resize a vmdk disk via vmware vcenter converter. In addition to converting to vmdk to vhd format, you can add virtual network adapters and convert virtual machines from vmware vsphere 5. Now using vsphere client or vsphere web client open the vm settings and delete old disk select remove from virtual machine.
With the help of vembuhive filesystem, vhd, vhdx, vmdk, flat. May 09, 2012 what is the quikiest way to copy vmdk files from esxi. Its possible to convert a thick provisioned disk to a thin one in a bunch of clicks thanks to the powerful vsphere web client, for vmware esxi virtual machines. As the vsphere storage downloadfilebrowser utility cant resume a download, can randomly crap out, and is slow, i install a ftp service via putty and then use filezilla to copy out all vmdk files. How to use vmware converter to import vms or vmdks into. Easy way to mount and access vsphere vmdk files offline. Verify that the disk format of a virtual hard disk is thin provision. You may need some tools to convert vhd to vmdk if you are importing vm from hyperv to vmware esxi because esxi host will not.
I need to take them and ship them vmdk out to another site. When using the vcenter move operation on a select vm subfolder in the datastore file explorer and moving it to another datastore, the vmdk file which was thin provisioned and used 35gb was converted to thickly provisioned disk weighting 100gb after the move to the new datastore. Convert a vmware vmdk from thick provisioned to thin. A vmware cloud provider should know what to do with that to fire it up as a vm. I did the conversion on a windows 7 machine and was wondering how to move the n. The vms had their disks created as thin provisioned and when we try to download it, it would download the entire capacity of the disk. The util is similar to the esxi shell command vmkfstools but can be run on a windows box. Will storage thin provisioning benefit my storage hardware at the expense of vm performance.
Changing thick or thin provisioning for vmdk vmware hdd. Convert a vm from esx or vcenter if you are converting a live vm hosted on esx, the best tool out there that works and that is also free is the one built by microsoft itself, microsoft virtual machine converter 3. Howto shrink a thin provisioned virtual disk vmdk posted by fgrehl on november 24, 2014 leave a comment 25 go to comments thin provisioned disks are a great feature to save capacity as you virtual machines filesystem will never use the full capacity. Users cant manually select a vhd file for conversion. Optimize and manage your virtual infrastructure from the desktop to the data center. The datastore file browser converts vmdks to thick. Move vmware esxi vm to new datastore preserve thinprovisioning. In the datastore browser, select the virtual disk that you converted from vhd to vmdk and then converted vmdk from the vmware workstation format to the vmware esxi format thin provisioned. Solved moving vmdk from windows 7 machine to vmware. There might be other small inconvenients, like mac address changes. Make a clone of the vmdk that is set to only read and write to a different size. Determine the virtual disk format and convert a virtual. Cloning and converting virtual machine disks with vmkfstools.
This article gives the steps to convert a thick provisioned virtual hard drive vmdk to thin provisioned on esx 4 or newer. Vmdk containers of older esxi versions are supported too. I had a dynamic disk in workstation that was currently 15gb but could grow to 100gb. Vembu developed its own filesystem vembuhive to store and manage the backup data. It they are very handsoff then what you could do is install the vmware workstation pro 30day trial locally and create a new vm with your existing vmdk file as per vmware kb 2010196. Add hard disk use an existing virtual disk select file w10rtmtest. Before following these procedures, vmware recommends that you. But as i began downloading the vmdk disk image from my esxi server in vmware, i noticed that it took a very long time.
Last time i tried it, i think this does preserve the vmdk format. Vmware validated design for softwaredefined data center. Sep 01, 20 the util is similar to the esxi shell command vmkfstools but can be run on a windows box. Disk converter tools are essential especially when you are migrating virtual machine workloads between two hypervisors. Free stuff free virtualization utilities, esxi free, monitoring and free backup utilities for esxi and hyperv. This lesson explains how you can manually convert a thick provisioned disk to a thin provisioned disk on vmware esxi servers. Nov 12, 2015 vddk and the vmwaremount tool does that for you by letting you mount the vmdk on your local machine. Im going to use the microsoft virtual machine converter. The method of changing disk provisioning type using cli involves copying current vmdk file to a new thin provisioned disk and removing old thick disk. A virtual disk of the esxi format consists of two separate files a data file. For those who like to watch than read, i have made a video version of. Ill either script this out or use the gui, not sure yet. Convert thick disk to thin on esxi free advanced data. To permanently migrate vms from hyperv and other hypervisor environments or windows servers like microsoft exchange server, sql server, active directory servers and etc.
After cleaning up the vm itself and running sdelete, its time to shrink the vmdk. To do storage vmotion from vsphere webclient for vsphere 5. We sshed into the vsphere server and browsed to the vmfs datastore that holds our virtual machine. Here is a list of the tools needed to finish the job, converting virtual machine formats from vmwares vmdk to microsofts vhd. Once registered, you can download the ova and deploy to your virtual. Convert a vmdk from thick to thin on esx bonus bits. Remote server access functionality works for esxi servers from version 5. I used the image converter tool qemu with the following command. A quick search reveals that people tend to suggest vmware converter as the tool to do it.