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I have set 100GB as the limit of my VMDK. I can reduce the size by using the vmkfstools -k my.vmdk

What I would really like to do is take 20GB off the thick size of the disk.

Any advice? I would prefer something in the CLI vs using the converter but open to advice :).

Lance
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1 Answers1

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You can convert the drive from a thick-provisioned disk to a thin-proivisoned disk. We're missing a little information, though. How much of the 100GB is in use right now? If it's say, 60-70GB, is this exercise worth it?

The process is simple in a vSphere situation where you have the ability to migrate the VM to another datastore. If you need to do this via the command line, the steps are more involved.

ewwhite
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  • At least in ESXi 5.1 the vmkfstools -l my.vmdk will convert it to a thin disk as well (as mentioned in OP). I think without going thin, the only other option I've found is using the VMware Converter. Seems extending is easy enough but shrinking is more difficult (as I can imagine without the disk being defragged or zero'd) – Lance May 10 '13 at 23:33
  • Oh, notably, you linked the same thing twice. Thanks anyway – Lance May 10 '13 at 23:34
  • If you use the right tool for your guest OS to consolidate data/zero free space, you can potentially reclaim data. But this is usually done in conjunction with a datastore move and a licensed copy of vSphere. That $500-$600 for the basic [vSphere Essentials](http://www.vmware.com/products/datacenter-virtualization/vsphere/compare-kits.html) doesn't look so bad! – ewwhite May 10 '13 at 23:37