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  • 1.  How to mount snapshot vmdk file

    Posted Oct 25, 2011 07:08 AM

    Hi

    I am new with vmware and really stuck with a problem.  I have a sharepoint server that crashed.  I had 3 virtual drives attached to to the server.  I used acronis to backup the server and everytime it backed up the server it created another vmdk file.  Now i have the main vmdk file and a few other vmdk files (00001 to 38).  If i try to mount the try i can only use the main vmdk file and the data is old on that one.  I need to mount the file ending 000038.vmdk to restore my data.

    Can anyone please help.

    Thank you

    Shaheed



  • 2.  RE: How to mount snapshot vmdk file

    Posted Oct 25, 2011 07:58 AM

    Welcome to the Community,

    you cannot mount a snapshot vmdk in the GUI. What you need to do is to remove the VM from the Inventory (DON'T delete from disk) and edit the VM's vmx file, replacing the mounted vmdk file. After doing this, right click the vmx file and select "Add to Inventory".

    From the file's time stamps the latest snapshot should be 000038 (the numbers don't necessarily be in an ascending order). However, it looks like you tried to boot the VM from the base vmdk file. At this point you will most likely end up with a "parent has been modified" error message. What needs to be done in this case is to repair the snapshot chain. To do this, you will need to edit the "AG-Atlas2-000002.vmdk" file and replace the partentCID value with the CID value of the "AG-Atlas2.vmdk". If the parent file name in "AG-Atlas2-000002.vmdk" is not "AG-Atlas2-flat.vmdk", archive/zip all the small vmdk files and attach them to your next post. To edit the files you need to either login on the console or access the host via ssh.

    André



  • 3.  RE: How to mount snapshot vmdk file

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Oct 25, 2011 08:04 AM

    Hi Shaheed and welcome to the community

    If you loose your relationships of the "child" disks to the "Parent" disk, it is quite a procedure to fix it, especially with so many snapshots.

    My best advice is to log a Support call with VMware and let the support guys assist you. This snapshot will have to be deleted "committed"

    Please award points for correct/helpful responses by clicking the tabs :smileywink:



  • 4.  RE: How to mount snapshot vmdk file

    Posted Oct 25, 2011 08:55 AM

    One thing I forgot to mention. If the VM has been booted from the base disk, make sure you check the VM (chkdsk, database checks, ...) after fixing the snapshot chain, before bringing it back into production.

    André