vmkfstools question

[adave007]

So here is my question the following command works great vmkfstools -i <source.vmdk> -d thin <dest.vmdk> .

However it shows in the vi client as arround 3.7GB however when I look at it via putty it shows as the full 15GB. Do you know if it auto inflates the vmdk file after?

Attached you will see two screen shots one from the VI client and the other is from putty.

Thanks

[nick_couchman]

The ls command, by default, shows the maximum size to which the file can grow. Use the "s" flag on ls (ls -lsa) to see the actual size listed out to the left-hand side of the screen - this tells you the space consumed on disk.

[Lightbulb]

Try the du -h command this will show you the "correct" space from the cli

[adave007]

cool thanks for the ls -lsa shows the correct amount now is there away to copy this vmdk file to my windows client via some way so it's not 15GB? So I can burn it on dvd.

[nick_couchman]

I don't know of a way, and I'm not sure that the DVD filesystem(s) (e.g. UDF) support sparse images like that. Could be wrong about that, though...

[RParker]

there away to copy this vmdk file to my windows client via some way so it's not 15GB? So I can burn it on dvd.

Yes use VM converter to make it the actual size so you can burn it. I am curious, why did you make it a thin provision?

[adave007]

the reason why I wanted to have it thin provisioned was so I didn't need to backup the whole vmdk file this way my backup window would be shorter. This way I could replicate between branches without moving accross the whole 15GB vmdk file.