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S - can users safely use and access a VMWare guest while shrink is running on the image's vmdk file ?

I had seen an article stating that users can safely access and edit data on a server, while a VMWare "preparing to shrink" was running on a VMDK file, but now I cannot find the document.  I want to see if it is ok for them to access it during the preparing as well as during the actual "doing".

Does anyone know of the hyperlink ?  can you forward it along ?  have you done it in your experience ?

Thanks,
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I don't know the article, but we've done it without any problems.  It depends on the utilization level.

- gurutc
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is there a limit on the size of the VMDK file it will handle ?  I am trying to shrink a 144 GB file and it is taking quite a long time.  Any ideas ?

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I would agree that VMware converter works better than the Shrink feature.  There have been reported issues of errors that only reboot help when trying to shrink a drive.  I haven't heard anything catastrophic, but VMware converter will probably be the best solution and it will throttle itself down to prevent bottlenecks.
I'm with the other guys on this too.

- gurutc
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thanks for your help ...