Vmdk-flat Review

When converting from thick to thin, the -flat.vmdk is replaced by a (which is a single .vmdk file containing both metadata and data). The flat file is deleted after conversion.

If you browse your files through the VMware vSphere Client datastore browser, VMware purposefully hides the -flat.vmdk file to simplify the view. It merges the descriptor and the data file into a single logical "Virtual Disk" icon. However, if you access the ESXi host via or a Command Line Interface (CLI) and run an ls command, both files will be visible. Key Characteristics of vmdk-flat vmdk-flat

vmkfstools -i vmname-flat.vmdk -d thin vmname_new.vmdk When converting from thick to thin, the -flat