Abandoned or misnamed VVOL snapshot not getting removed from environment

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

The used and active file has a VMDK name that seems like a snapshot name, but is actually the base disk and another disk has the base disk name, but is not in use.  It appears that there still is a snapshot even when that isn't correct.  It is that the naming isn't correct.  The data is fine and to fix the issue, one must perform the renaming process described in the next section. 

Environment

vSphere 8.x

Cause

This is likely due to bad naming during the snapshot deletion process and system confusion with the snapshot name.

Resolution

 

1. 1. Keep VM powered on. 
   2. Log into the vSphere client to vCenter
   3. Find the file with base disk file name and using the vCenter/ESXi host GUI, browse to the datastore with that file.
   4. Verify that the file name matches and is the correct file before taking action.
   5. Select that file and click delete in the GUI.
   6. Verify in the vCenter as well as on the storage array that the space has been freed and the object shows that it is no longer actively used.

Additional Information

If the goal is to just to reclaim space and move forward, see KB Renaming a virtual machine and its files in VMware ESXi

Another approach to clean up datastores is to perform a Storage vMotion the individual drive (vmdk) away from the original datastore and back again to clear the naming issue.