Hi,
I am running VMWare Server 1 and one of my VM's is using too much disk space. It's quite complicated but I will try to explain it the best that I can.
The VM has three virtual HDD's, named hddsystem, hdddata and hddbackup. hddsystem is a pre-allocated HDD, and hdddata and hddbackup and not pre-allocated. If I log in to VMWare Console and check this VM's settings, the "Disk File" box for each of the three HDD's reads hddsystem-00001.vmdk, hdddata-000001.vmdk and /backup/timprivate/hddbackup.vmdk respectively.
The VM's "base" directory is located at /home/virtualmachines/timprivate/ on the host machine. This is the folder that the hddsystem drive is supposed to be located in. The hdddata drive is supposed to be located in /data/timprivate/, and the hddbackup drive is supposed to be located in /backup/timprivate.
The hddbackup drive is correctly located in /backup/timprivate on the host machine and this drive is not giving me any problems.
However, in the/home/virtualmachines/timprivate directory, I have got these files:
root@raptor timprivate# ls -l
total 38556904
-rw------- 1 root root 2097152000 Jan 26 14:36 564d5a30-477c-6172-f400-662ad1790370.vmem
-rrr-- 1 root root 11 Jan 26 14:36 564d5a30-477c-6172-f400-662ad1790370.vmem.WRITELOCK
-rw------- 1 root root 800653312 Jan 26 18:15 hdddata-000001-s001.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 7012352 Jan 26 15:23 hdddata-000001-s002.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 6553600 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001-s003.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 386400256 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001-s004.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1156644864 Jan 26 18:15 hdddata-000001-s005.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 546897920 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001-s006.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 154533888 Jan 26 14:55 hdddata-000001-s007.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 173867008 Jan 26 18:14 hdddata-000001-s008.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 533790720 Jan 26 18:15 hdddata-000001-s009.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 279642112 Jan 26 18:15 hdddata-000001-s010.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 712441856 Jan 26 18:15 hdddata-000001-s011.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 647692288 Jan 26 18:11 hdddata-000001-s012.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 41091072 Jan 26 16:41 hdddata-000001-s013.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 10616832 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001-s014.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 6881280 Jan 26 16:05 hdddata-000001-s015.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 23592960 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001-s016.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 487718912 Jan 26 18:10 hdddata-000001-s017.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 17170432 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001-s018.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1383202816 Jan 26 18:15 hdddata-000001-s019.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 595591168 Jan 26 18:14 hdddata-000001-s020.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 219742208 Jan 26 18:05 hdddata-000001-s021.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 215351296 Jan 26 18:13 hdddata-000001-s022.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 328073216 Jan 26 18:14 hdddata-000001-s023.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 209190912 Jan 26 15:14 hdddata-000001-s024.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 443875328 Jan 26 17:55 hdddata-000001-s025.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 504365056 Jan 26 18:05 hdddata-000001-s026.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 75825152 Jan 26 18:13 hdddata-000001-s027.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 4063232 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001-s028.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 134152192 Jan 26 14:39 hdddata-000001-s029.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 51314688 Jan 26 18:15 hdddata-000001-s030.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 786432 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001-s031.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1618 Jan 26 14:38 hdddata-000001.vmdk
-rrr-- 1 root root 11 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata-000001.vmdk.WRITELOCK
-rw------- 1 root root 2024013824 Jan 26 18:15 hddsystem-000001-s001.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1767964672 Jan 26 18:15 hddsystem-000001-s002.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 974848000 Jan 26 18:15 hddsystem-000001-s003.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1503789056 Jan 26 18:15 hddsystem-000001-s004.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1834811392 Jan 26 18:15 hddsystem-000001-s005.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1682440192 Jan 26 18:15 hddsystem-000001-s006.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 623771648 Jan 26 14:39 hddsystem-000001-s007.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 327680 Jan 26 14:36 hddsystem-000001-s008.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 586 Jan 26 14:38 hddsystem-000001.vmdk
-rrr-- 1 root root 11 Jan 26 14:36 hddsystem-000001.vmdk.WRITELOCK
-rw------- 1 root root 2147221504 Aug 8 23:19 hddsystem-f001.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2147221504 Aug 8 23:18 hddsystem-f002.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2147221504 Aug 8 23:18 hddsystem-f003.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2147221504 Aug 8 23:19 hddsystem-f004.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2147221504 Aug 8 23:19 hddsystem-f005.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2147221504 Aug 8 23:19 hddsystem-f006.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2147221504 Aug 8 23:18 hddsystem-f007.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1075576832 Aug 8 20:57 hddsystem-f008.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 636 Aug 8 02:20 hddsystem.vmdk
-rrr-- 1 root root 11 Jan 26 14:36 hddsystem.vmdk.READLOCK
-rw------- 1 root root 8664 Jan 26 14:36 nvram
-rw------- 1 root root 2097152000 Aug 8 23:29 Other Linux 2.6.x kernel 64-bit-Snapshot1.vmem
-rw------- 1 root root 1054543 Aug 10 14:09 Other Linux 2.6.x kernel 64-bit-Snapshot1.vmsn
-rw------- 1 root root 562 Aug 8 23:19 Other Linux 2.6.x kernel 64-bit.vmsd
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1157 Jan 26 14:36 Other Linux 2.6.x kernel 64-bit.vmx
-rw-rr 1 root root 334058 Jan 26 14:35 vmware-0.log
-rw-rr 1 root root 8979270 Jan 26 00:47 vmware-1.log
-rw-rr 1 root root 59763 Dec 7 05:37 vmware-2.log
-rw-rr 1 root root 37137 Jan 26 18:14 vmware.log
And in /data/timprivate, I have got these files:
root@raptor timprivate# ls -l /data/timprivate/
total 36449316
-rw------- 1 root root 2066415616 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s001.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2106458112 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s002.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2114256896 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s003.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2110128128 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s004.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2116288512 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s005.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2113011712 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s006.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2068316160 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s007.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2109997056 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s008.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2116616192 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s009.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1924988928 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s010.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 896139264 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s011.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 443547648 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s012.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 52428800 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s013.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 6553600 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s014.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 15138816 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s015.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 419823616 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s016.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 398917632 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s017.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2113339392 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s018.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1808596992 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s019.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1408368640 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s020.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 113901568 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s021.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1144520704 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s022.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 164233216 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s023.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1572864 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s024.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 131334144 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s025.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 174915584 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s026.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 807534592 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s027.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2106458112 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s028.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2116550656 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s029.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 2093678592 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s030.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 27459584 Aug 8 23:19 hdddata-s031.vmdk
-rw------- 1 root root 1494 Aug 8 02:20 hdddata.vmdk
-rrr-- 1 root root 11 Jan 26 14:36 hdddata.vmdk.READLOCK
As you can see, both hddsystem and hdddata seem to have two sets of files. There appears to be a virtual HDD named hddsystem and another one named hddsystem-000001, and the same for hdddata.
Looking at the dates for the virtual HDD's that don't end in 000001, their last modified date is Aug 8th, which means they aren't currently being used.
My question is, why would VMWare have created a new HDD with a slightly modified name for both hddsystem and hdddata? And is it safe to delete the hddsystem and hdddata drives, leaving hddsystem-000001 and hdddata-000001?
Edit: to add some information, the VM's .vmx file says that the three HDD's are "hddsystem-000001.vmdk", "hdddata-000001.vmdk" and "/backup/timprivate/hddbackup.vmdk".