For each snapshot, the total consumed disk space includes the sizes of the files needed to capture the state of the virtual machine at the time of the snapshot (for example, hard disk and memory).

 

vCloud administrators need to take into account the number of consumers they will allow to take snapshots. A vCloud virtual machine can only create one snapshot, thus making this calculation relatively easy. Datastore free space monitoring is critical to the success of any vCloud environment, and even more so in an environment that allows snapshots. If a datastore is allowed to be consumed by multiple virtual machines and snapshots, it can impact consumer’s ability to start their virtual machines. To mitigate this, consider using Storage DRS as it allows for the redistribution of virtual machines if a datastore violates a free space threshold. Storage DRS is not a replacement for careful datastore sizing and monitoring. Storage DRS does not stop a snapshot from writing to the datastore when performing migrations.