Sometimes, you may see flat files named 000001-flat.vmdk , 000002-flat.vmdk , etc. These are snapshot delta disks .
Occasionally, a descriptor file gets corrupted or deleted, leaving you with an orphaned -flat.vmdk . Without the descriptor, VMware cannot mount the disk. vmware flat file
[ vSphere vCenter View ] ---> Displays a single "Virtual Disk" icon | +---> [ ESXi Shell / File System ] | +---> VM_Name.vmdk (Text Descriptor / Map) +---> VM_Name-flat.vmdk (Raw Binary Data Block) Key Technical Characteristics 1. Pre-Allocated Storage Footprint Sometimes, you may see flat files named 000001-flat
: A tiny text file that acts as a pointer. It tells VMware which flat file to use and how to interpret the raw bits. Flat File ( example-flat.vmdk ) : The actual data. Virtual Machines downloads to -flat files? | VMware vSphere Without the descriptor, VMware cannot mount the disk