Examples Using the VMware Virtual Disk Manager

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The following examples illustrate how to use the virtual disk manager. You run the virtual disk manager from a command prompt.
Creating a Virtual DiskTo create a new virtual disk, use a command like the following:
vmware-vdiskmanager -c -t 0 -s 40GB -a ide myDisk.vmdk
This creates a 40GB IDE virtual disk named myDisk.vmdk. The virtual disk is contained in a single .vmdk file. The disk space is not preallocated.
Converting a Virtual DiskTo convert a virtual disk from preallocated to growable, use a command like the following:
vmware-vdiskmanager -r sourceDisk.vmdk -t 0 targetDisk.vmdk
This converts the disk from its original preallocated type to agrowable virtual disk consisting of a single virtual disk file. Thevirtual disk space is no longer preallocated, and the virtual diskmanager reclaims some disk space in the virtual disk so it is only aslarge as the data contained within it.
Expand the Size of an Existing Virtual Disk     //扩展虚拟磁盘容量
To expand the size of a virtual disk, use a command like the following:
vmware-vdiskmanager -x 40GB myDisk.vmdk
This increases the maximum capacity of the virtual disk to 40GB.
Renaming a Virtual DiskTo rename a virtual disk, first remove it from any virtual machine that contains the disk (choose VM > Settings > <virtualdisk>, then click Remove).
Then use the following:
vmware-vdiskmanager -n myDisk.vmdk myNewDisk.vmdk
To rename the disk and locate it in a different directory, use:
vmware-vdiskmanager -n myDisk.vmdk ..\<new>\<path>\myNewDisk.vmdk
Note: The paths used in these examples assume a Windows host.
To locate the disk in a different directory but keep the same name, use:
vmware-vdiskmanager -n myDisk.vmdk ..\<new>\<path>\myDisk.vmdk
After you rename or relocate the virtual disk, add it back to any virtual machines that use it. Choose VM > Settings, click Add, then follow the wizard to add this existing virtual disk.
Defragmenting a Virtual DiskTo defragment a virtual disk, use a command like the following:
vmware-vdiskmanager -d myDisk.vmdk
Remember, you cannot defragment a virtual disk if you allocatedall the disk space when you created the virtual disk. You cannotdefragment a physical disk.
Preparing a Virtual Disk for ShrinkingBefore you can shrink a virtual disk, you must prepare each volumeon the disk (C: or D:, for example) for shrinking. To prepare a volume,it must be located on a Windows host. First you must mount the volume.To mount the volume, use the VMware DiskMount Utility, available as afree download from the VMware Web site. For information aboutdownloading and using VMware DiskMount, see Shrinking Virtual Disks with VMware Virtual Disk Manager.
VMware DiskMount mounts individual volumes of a virtual disk. For thebest results when you shrink a virtual disk, you should mount all thevolumes and shrink them.
After you mount a virtual disk volume, use the virtual diskmanager to prepare the disk for shrinking. To prepare the volumemounted as the M: drive for shrinking, use the following command:
vmware-vdiskmanager -p M:
Once the preparations are complete, unmount the volume. Repeatthis process for each volume of the virtual disk. After you prepare allthe volumes for shrinking, you can shrink the virtual disk.
Shrinking a Virtual DiskTo shrink a virtual disk, it must be located on a Windows host.Before you can shrink the virtual disk, make sure you prepare all thevolumes of the virtual disk for shrinking. Then use a command like thefollowing:
vmware-vdiskmanager -k myDisk.vmdk
Remember, you cannot shrink a virtual disk if you allocated allthe disk space when you created the virtual disk. You cannot shrink aphysical (raw) disk.
If the virtual disk has a snapshot, you cannot shrink thevirtual disk. You must remove the snapshot before you shrink thevirtual disk.