Swap vVols

VMware creates swap files for VMs of all types when they are powered on, and deletes them at power-off. When a vVol-based VM is powered on, VMware directs the array to create a swap vVol, and creates a swap (.vswp) file in the VM’s config vVol that points to it.

To power on a vVol-based VM, right-click it in the Web Client inventory pane, select Power from the dropdown menu, and Power On from the secondary dropdown.

When a VM is powered on, the Web Client file navigator lists two vswp files in its folder.

The swap vVol’s name in the VM’s volume group on the array is Swap- concatenated with a unique identifier. The GUI Volumes tab shows a volume whose size is the VM’s memory size.

Like all FlashArray volumes, swap vVols are thin-provisioned—they occupy no space until data is written to them.

To power off a vVol-based VM, right-click it in the Web Client inventory pane, select Power from the dropdown menu, and Shut Down Guest OS from the secondary dropdown.

When a VM is powered off, its vswp file disappears from the Web Client file navigator, and the FlashArray GUI Volumes tab no longer shows a swap volume on the array.

VMware destroys and immediately eradicates swap vVols from the array. (They do not remain in the Destroyed Volumes folder for 24 hours.)