(Prevention, not recovery)
Depending on the severity of the loss, you can employ different recovery strategies. 1. Manual Reconstruction of Descriptor Files
: If using NetApp storage, the SnapCenter Plug-in can restore deleted VMs from secondary backups directly to an ESXi host. 3. Specialized VMFS Recovery Software vmfs undelete
Connect the LUN or physical drive containing the VMFS partition to a Windows workstation (via iSCSI or physical connection) .
If no backups exist, you must use specialized software that can scan the VMFS raw volume for file headers and metadata remains. These tools often work by mounting the VMFS volume on a Windows machine. (Prevention, not recovery) Depending on the severity of
Check if a snapshot was taken prior to the deletion. You may be able to revert or consolidate to recover the state.
When no backups exist, specialized software can scan the VMFS volume for "orphaned" file headers. These tools often work by mounting the VMFS
: Use your backup console to locate the VM or specific files and trigger a restore.
These tools scan the raw VMFS partition, find deleted file headers (e.g., VMDK descriptor, flat VMDK), and rebuild the file.
Recovering deleted files or virtual machines from a VMware VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) datastore is a high-stakes process because VMware does not have a native "Recycle Bin" or built-in "undelete" command .
Select to add it back to your vCenter/ESXi inventory. Do you have a recent backup of this datastore, or