Note: Always check the documentation of your third-party backup solution (like Veeam, Commvault, or Veritas) to see exactly which VDDK version their software requires. How to Install and Initialize VDDK
Historically, VMware components were hosted on the VMware Developer Center or My VMware portal. Following Broadcom's acquisition of VMware, all downloads, documentation, and licensing have transitioned to the .
Read and write to virtual disks without routing data through the virtual machine operating system.
Once you download the .exe or .bundle , installation is straightforward. However, watch out for these pitfalls: download vmware vddk
Newer versions (like VDDK 5.5 and later) often arrive as ZIP archives instead of automated installers, requiring manual registry edits or path configurations to function correctly.
: Perform random read/write operations on virtual disk data without needing the virtual machine to be powered on. Backup & Restore : Work in tandem with the vStorage APIs for Data Protection (VADP)
: The primary source for the latest versions is the Broadcom Developer Portal . Note: Always check the documentation of your third-party
Right-click the downloaded .zip file and select .
Within the vSphere download page, use the drop-down menu to select your specific major version (e.g., 8.0, 7.0). Expand the menu options and look for a category labeled , Automation Tools , or Developer Tools . Step 5: Select and Download the VDDK
Add the bin directory path to your system PATH variable so your applications can locate the necessary .dll files. Installation on Linux Open your terminal emulator. Unpack the tarball archive using the following command: tar -xvf vmware-vix-disklib-*.tar.gz Use code with caution. Move the directory to a standard library location: Read and write to virtual disks without routing
A pre-compiled application that demonstrates how to authenticate, open paths, and read/write raw data blocks using the VixDiskLib API.
To summarize:
Creates, deletes, and consolidates VM snapshots programmatically during backup cycles. Step-by-Step: How to Download VMware VDDK
for your environment:
Scroll down to find the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK) entry.