increasing your virtual disk size running inside vmware esx.pdf

8/19/2019 Increasing your Virtual Disk size running inside VMware ESX.pdf

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Increasing your Virtual Disk

size running inside VMware

ESX or workstation

by Saravana Kumar KKB

Abstract:Wile con!iguring and installing an "S# we !ind later on tat more

s$ace is needed on te $rimary $artition% "ne could argue wy not install one

more virtual ard drive and use it% Well tere are a number o! so!tware tat will

work only !rom te $rimary $artition% &is $a$er will guide ste$ by ste$ on ow to

increase te virtual ard disk on a VMware ESX server wic as and wicdoesn't ave sna$sots%

(bout te autor) Saravana Kumar is working as Senior *( Engineer !or IBM

+olicy (tlas team under E,M% -eac out to im at saravkkb.in%ibm%com

/

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Introduction

&oday many engineering teams in worldwide# uses more Virtual environment !or teir

test and develo$ment activities tan $ysical macines%

Wile con!iguring and installing an "S# we !ind later on tat more s$ace is needed onte $rimary $artition% "ne could argue wy not install one more virtual ard drive anduse it% Well tere are a number o! so!tware tat will work only !rom te $rimary $artition%

&is $a$er will guide ste$ by ste$ on ow to increase te virtual ard disk on a VMware

ESX server wic as and wic doesn't ave sna$sots%

Snapshot Sna$sots are not com$lete co$ies o! te original vmdk disk !iles% &aking a sna$sot doesnot create a com$lete co$y o! te original vmdk disk !ile# rater it only co$ies te delta

disks% &e cange log in te sna$sot !ile combines wit te original disk !iles to make

u$ te current state o! te virtual macine% I! te base disks are deleted# te sna$sot !ilesare useless%

Increasing a VM Disk

VM which doesn't have snapshot:

Increasing the hard disk in ESX server:

/% Sutdown te VM Image

0% Ensure you ave taken backu$ o! te e1isting !iles2mainly all te %vmdk

!iles34% 5ogin to ESX console as root

6% -un te !ollowing command to increase te size to te new s$eci!ied size

vmkfstools –X [new size] [your vmdk file]

7or E1am$le)

&ere is a Windows Server 0884 macine wic was originally created wit 98:B o! virtual ;DD# owever now more s$ace is needed and you now want a total

s$ace o! /88:% So te command to use !or tis is )

~ # vmkfstools -X 100G islrpbeixn10!vmdk

Grow" 100 done!

( message will a$$ear as con!irmation% ?ote) I! you are in some oter $at you migt need to give te com$lete $at o!

te %vmdk !ile% %vmdk !iles usually reside in below $at in your ESX

@vm!s@volumes@

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Increasing the hard disk in VMWare workstation:

,ommand)

vmw$re-vdiskm$n$%er -X [newsize] [your vmdk file]

&e vmwareAvdiskmanager a$$lication will be available in te directory were VMware

Workstation is installed) VMwareVMware Workstation% So you sould cange 2cd3 totis directory and ten e1ecute te vmwareAvdiskmanager command%

"nce tis is done# te ne1t Cob is to increase te $rimary $artition and use te com$leteavailable ard disk s$ace 2 in tis case /88:B we ave increased te ard disk3% We can

use various $artition assistant so!tware to do tis% 5ets take most recommended or widely

used :$arted 5ive ,D%

tt$)@@g$arted%source!orge%net@livecd%$$

Download tis IS" and u$load to any o! te datastore in your ESX or kee$ it in your

client macine ard disk%

Increasing hard disk space using Gparted Live ISO:

/% -igt click your VM name !rom te inventory and select te Edit settings"$tion

0% ,lick te "$tion tab and coose te Boot "$tions link

4% ,oose


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6% 7rom te BI"S coose te boot !rom ,DA-"M Device o$tion

9% 7rom te VM ,D@DVD Drive ma$ to te :$arted 5ive IS" wic is in

your ard disk or ESX data store%

% "nce tis is done E1it te BI"S by coosing

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% ?ow# te VM will start booting wit :$arted 5ive IS"

F% Select te de!ault o$tions # language in ne1t 0 Guestions

9


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H% "nce it is booted wit X windows# below screen will be sown

/8% Select te boot $artition and coose te -esize@Move o$tion


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//% ?ow# drag te arrow in te bo1 till te end o! te available disk s$ace


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/0% ,lick te ($$ly button

F


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/4% "nce done $rimary $artition will start growing te disk

/6% Wait o! te growing o$tion to com$lete# until you get com$lete screen

H


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/9% We are almost at te !inal ste$ now ,oose te e1it o$tion and select

radio button

/% "nce VM is rebooted# "$erating system will run te ,;KDSK 2In

windows3 or 7S,K 25inu13 command to ceck te !ile system integrity

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status o! te ;ard disk%

/% ?ow# you can ceck your ;ard disk s$ace a!ter logging into yourmacine%

VM which has snapshot:

In general VMware doesnt allow growing te Virtual ard disk o! a Virtual macine

wic as a sna$sot% Sometimes te sna$sot migt be critical and we cannot a!!ord to

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delete it% Wen we are in suc situation te only o$tion we ave is to clone te VM to

anoter macine and increase te size by !ollowing te ste$s mentioned above and under)

Increasing Hard disk space in VM which doesnt havesnapshot

Steps !or c"oning:

/% ,reate a ?ew Virtual macine by selecting corres$onding "S

0% ?ow# co$y te source %vmdk and %vm1 !iles to te !older o! te newlycreated Virtual macine

7or e1am$le)I! your VM as 0 sna$sots tere will be 4 %vmdk !iles

Jyour vmname%vmdk

Jyour vmnameA8888/%vmdk

J your vmnameA88880%vmdk

Lou sould co$y te base !ile Jyour vmname%vmdk and Jyour vmname%vm1!ile to te destination VM directory%

#onc"usion:

We ave everAincreasing reGuirements# release a!ter release% Engineering teams !ace

many times te situation o! installing more so!tware in te available VMs% &ools like

VMware # :$arted live IS" comes andy in increasing te ard disk s$ace% -aising teI& ticket !or te same involves lot o! manual and time involved% Instead one can DIL by!ollowing te mentioned ste$s%

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increasing your virtual disk size running inside vmware esx.pdf

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