vmdk creates itself and takes up all disk space

[besync]

Hello,

I hope you're well and that someone can help me!

I have an ESXI 8.0U2

I have a 1.8TB datastore mounted in raid 5.

I have 2 windows server VMs, 1 VM with 1.2TB static provisioning, late zeroing and 1VM with 200GB same.

I've created and configured my VMs without any problem, taken 1 snapshot of each during installation just in case, and everything's fine. 2 days later I want to create a 3rd VM but I get an error message telling me I've run out of space.

In fact, I've created a second vmdk of around 400GB which fills the 400GB of free space I had left in my datastore. As a result, I can't start my VMs. I was able to delete a snapshot, which freed up a few GB and restarted the VMs, but I'm now almost at full capacity.

The strangest thing is that my disk file in my VM settings corresponds to vmdk 400GB and not 1.2TB, I don't understand.

When I'm connected graphically to my VM, I can see 1.2TB of total space with 820GB free.

What's more, the display in "host" doesn't show the 400GB of the second disk, so at first glance I think everything's fine, but in the datastore display it's clear that everything's used up.

Thanks in advance for your help.

baptiste.

[a_p_]

The DC has a 1.2 TB disk + a 400GB snapshot.
Since you said that the VMs disk has been thick provisioned, it should wort to delete the snapshot.
However, with no space left right now, you may want to delete the snapshot while the VM is powered off to avoid even more disk sapce issues during the deletion.

André

[besync]

Hello and thank you for your reply!

I've already deleted the snapshot and the 400GB disk I created is still there. What's more, it's marked as a "disk file" in my VM settings (as shown in the screenshot).

So I'm afraid that if I delete this 400GB vmdk my VM won't start up again at all?
Or will it use my 1.2Tb vmdk as a disk file and everything will start up again normally?

What do you think?

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

Don't trust the Snapshot Manager! The 400 GB "...-000001.vmdk" file is a snapshot.
Please check which .vmdk file shows up in the VM's settings.

If it is "...-000001.vmdk", then my recommendation is to shut down the guest OS, create another snapshot, and run "Delete All" from the Snapshot Manager to merge the 400GB snapshot data into the 1.2TB base .vmdk.

André

[besync]

Hello,

Thank you for your response.

I will try tomorrow and get back to you.

Thanks for your help in any case!

Logan

[besync]

Hello,

Thank you very much André, your solution worked! 😁

Have a nice day.

Logan