[opensuse] Accessing VMware filesystem on ESXi machine
All, Can anyone recommend a solution other than vmfs-fuse (from vmfs-tools)? == details == I have a ESXi machine I am trying to work with. Effectively I'm trying to use a live Boot DVD to copy off the VMDK files and associated data files. In theoryvmfs-fuse (from vmfs-tools) from the Filesystems project should let me do that. Unfortunately it is giving me access to all the files except the VMDK file. From googling it appears vmfs-fuse doesn't support VMDK files over 255GB and this one is 1.4TB Thanks Greg -- Greg Freemyer -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On 02/27/2015 01:09 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
Effectively I'm trying to use a live Boot DVD to copy off the VMDK files and associated data files.
Not sure I quite understand the issue here. vmdk files are just files. You can copy the whole directory that holds the virtual machine files via normal copy commands. Fuse tools try to mount the vmdk and allow access to its contents (the files and directories within the vmdk.).
From your description above, you don't want to use any form of fuse, you just want to copy the entire directory holding that virtual machine.
You seem to be making it harder than it really is. -- After all is said and done, more is said than done. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 4:39 PM, John Andersen
On 02/27/2015 01:09 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
Effectively I'm trying to use a live Boot DVD to copy off the VMDK files and associated data files.
Not sure I quite understand the issue here. vmdk files are just files. You can copy the whole directory that holds the virtual machine files via normal copy commands.
Fuse tools try to mount the vmdk and allow access to its contents (the files and directories within the vmdk.).
From your description above, you don't want to use any form of fuse, you just want to copy the entire directory holding that virtual machine.
You seem to be making it harder than it really is.
John, As I understand it the filesystem the VMware ESXi uses to hold the VMDK files (etc.) is not ext3, XFS, NTFS, etc Instead it is "vmfs" which is not a generally supported filesystem by opensuse. I am trying to avoid booting the actual ESXi server into its runtime mode. Instead I used a openSUSE live DVD to make a dd copy of the 2 partitions that have the vmfs filesystem on them. The copy went to an external USB drive. The vmfs-tools package provides vmfs-fuse that allows a vmfs partition to be mounted. As an example of what I'm doing vmfs-fuse is failing for both. If I try a simple mount with default mount options I get: # mount -l vmfs-partition.dd /mnt2 mount: unknown filesystem type 'VMFS_volume_member' If I try with vmfs-fuse, I get apparent success: # vmfs-fuse vmfs-partition.dd /mnt2 # ls /mnt2 fbb.sf .fdc.sf .pb2.sf .pbc.sf .sbc.sf .sdd.sf .vh.sf LEDC1 # ls /mnt2/LEDC1 LEDC1-adc42e6f.vswp LEDC1.vmdk LEDC1.vmx.lck vmware-2.log vmware-5.log vmware.log LEDC1-flat.vmdk LEDC1.vmsd LEDC1.vmxf vmware-3.log vmware-6.log vmx-LEDC1-2915315311-1.vswp LEDC1.nvram LEDC1.vmx LEDC1.vmx~ vmware-4.log vmware-7.log The VMDK file is 1.4 TB. If I try to make a simple copy of it, I get an i/o error # cp LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ cp: error reading ‘LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error cp: failed to extend ‘/mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error Thanks Greg -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On 02/27/2015 02:41 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
# cp LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ cp: error reading ‘LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error cp: failed to extend ‘/mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error
I see, so you are going after a vmdk as (essentially) a flat file.
From your first description I didn't catch that part.
So what you are seeing looks like an output error to me, not a problem reading the fuse source. The target file system (under /mnt) can't handle a file that big. What is the file system type mounted at /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ ? Can it handle files that big? What about mounting an external disk partition that is XFS or something that can handle huge files? -- After all is said and done, more is said than done. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 6:41 PM, John Andersen
On 02/27/2015 02:41 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
# cp LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ cp: error reading ‘LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error cp: failed to extend ‘/mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error
I see, so you are going after a vmdk as (essentially) a flat file. From your first description I didn't catch that part.
So what you are seeing looks like an output error to me, not a problem reading the fuse source.
The target file system (under /mnt) can't handle a file that big. What is the file system type mounted at /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ ? Can it handle files that big? What about mounting an external disk partition that is XFS or something that can handle huge files?
I don't think the issue is the destination drive (NTFS). I happen to have 1.9TB file handy, so I tried to use openSUSE to cp that to the same drive. It had no issues (I killed it after 10GB of progress). My research found several open issues at the vmfs-tools github upstream complaining about not supporting large VMDK files. I need to find an alternate solution I'm afraid. https://github.com/glandium/vmfs-tools/issues Thanks for the suggestions. I really don't want to boot the server, but that may be what I have to do. Greg -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On 02/27/2015 04:02 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 6:41 PM, John Andersen
wrote: On 02/27/2015 02:41 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
# cp LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ cp: error reading ‘LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error cp: failed to extend ‘/mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error
I see, so you are going after a vmdk as (essentially) a flat file. From your first description I didn't catch that part.
So what you are seeing looks like an output error to me, not a problem reading the fuse source.
The target file system (under /mnt) can't handle a file that big. What is the file system type mounted at /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ ? Can it handle files that big? What about mounting an external disk partition that is XFS or something that can handle huge files?
I don't think the issue is the destination drive (NTFS). I happen to have 1.9TB file handy, so I tried to use openSUSE to cp that to the same drive. It had no issues (I killed it after 10GB of progress).
My research found several open issues at the vmfs-tools github upstream complaining about not supporting large VMDK files. I need to find an alternate solution I'm afraid.
https://github.com/glandium/vmfs-tools/issues
Thanks for the suggestions. I really don't want to boot the server, but that may be what I have to do. Greg
Well, I admit I didn't do any research on this, I simply carefully read the (confusing) error message, which on the first line says Error Reading, and on the second says Error extending and references your output target drive. Perhaps on the Vmware communities List there would be more info? (I don't use ESXI, just Workstation, but even there, I always choose the option to use multiple smaller vmdk segments just to be sure I can copy without hitting somebody's limit.) -- After all is said and done, more is said than done. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 7:09 PM, John Andersen
On 02/27/2015 04:02 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 6:41 PM, John Andersen
wrote: On 02/27/2015 02:41 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
# cp LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ cp: error reading ‘LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error cp: failed to extend ‘/mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error
I see, so you are going after a vmdk as (essentially) a flat file. From your first description I didn't catch that part.
So what you are seeing looks like an output error to me, not a problem reading the fuse source.
The target file system (under /mnt) can't handle a file that big. What is the file system type mounted at /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ ? Can it handle files that big? What about mounting an external disk partition that is XFS or something that can handle huge files?
I don't think the issue is the destination drive (NTFS). I happen to have 1.9TB file handy, so I tried to use openSUSE to cp that to the same drive. It had no issues (I killed it after 10GB of progress).
My research found several open issues at the vmfs-tools github upstream complaining about not supporting large VMDK files. I need to find an alternate solution I'm afraid.
https://github.com/glandium/vmfs-tools/issues
Thanks for the suggestions. I really don't want to boot the server, but that may be what I have to do. Greg
Well, I admit I didn't do any research on this, I simply carefully read the (confusing) error message, which on the first line says Error Reading, and on the second says Error extending and references your output target drive.
Perhaps on the Vmware communities List there would be more info?
(I don't use ESXI, just Workstation, but even there, I always choose the option to use multiple smaller vmdk segments just to be sure I can copy without hitting somebody's limit.)
I'm not the admin. I've just been called in after the fact to do some analysis for a potential court case. Thus my reluctance to power on the computer. I'm looking into vddk from vmware. It can work with offline vmdk files it says, but I think it needs to be run from inside the ESX host. Still experimenting. Greg -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
В Fri, 27 Feb 2015 19:12:23 -0500
Greg Freemyer
On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 7:09 PM, John Andersen
wrote: On 02/27/2015 04:02 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 6:41 PM, John Andersen
wrote: On 02/27/2015 02:41 PM, Greg Freemyer wrote:
# cp LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ cp: error reading ‘LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error cp: failed to extend ‘/mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/LEDC1-flat.vmdk’: Input/output error
I see, so you are going after a vmdk as (essentially) a flat file. From your first description I didn't catch that part.
So what you are seeing looks like an output error to me, not a problem reading the fuse source.
The target file system (under /mnt) can't handle a file that big. What is the file system type mounted at /mnt/AV162/AV162-LEDC1/LEDC1/ ? Can it handle files that big? What about mounting an external disk partition that is XFS or something that can handle huge files?
I don't think the issue is the destination drive (NTFS). I happen to have 1.9TB file handy, so I tried to use openSUSE to cp that to the same drive. It had no issues (I killed it after 10GB of progress).
My research found several open issues at the vmfs-tools github upstream complaining about not supporting large VMDK files. I need to find an alternate solution I'm afraid.
https://github.com/glandium/vmfs-tools/issues
Thanks for the suggestions. I really don't want to boot the server, but that may be what I have to do. Greg
Well, I admit I didn't do any research on this, I simply carefully read the (confusing) error message, which on the first line says Error Reading, and on the second says Error extending and references your output target drive.
Perhaps on the Vmware communities List there would be more info?
(I don't use ESXI, just Workstation, but even there, I always choose the option to use multiple smaller vmdk segments just to be sure I can copy without hitting somebody's limit.)
I'm not the admin. I've just been called in after the fact to do some analysis for a potential court case. Thus my reluctance to power on the computer.
I'm looking into vddk from vmware. It can work with offline vmdk files it says, but I think it needs to be run from inside the ESX host. Still experimenting.
VCB (VMware Consolidated Backup) did run on Windows and worked by mounting VMFS volume. It was renamed to something else in the meantime (I forgot) but may be you can still download it or replacement. It could be an option (albeit requiring duplicating of HDD and setting up Windows server). -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org
participants (3)
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Andrei Borzenkov
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Greg Freemyer
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John Andersen