About the Virtual Disk API

The virtual disk API, or VixDiskLib, is a set of function calls to manipulate virtual disk files in VMDK format (virtual machine disk). Function call semantics are patterned after C system calls for file I/O. Using the virtual disk API, you can write programs to manage VMDK files directly from your software applications.

These library functions can manipulate virtual disks on VMware Workstation or similar products (hosted disk) or virtual disks residing on file system volumes of an ESXi host managed by vCenter Server (managed disk). Hosted is a term meaning that the virtualization platform and disk are hosted by a guest operating system such as Windows or Linux.

The VDDK package installs on either Windows or Linux, so you can write VDDK and VADP applications using either system. Applications can manipulate the virtual disks of any operating system that runs on a supported VMware platform product. You may repackage VDDK binaries into your software application after signing a redistribution agreement. See the VDDK Release Notes for a list of supported platform products and development systems.

The VDDK and VADP enable you to develop applications that work effectively across multiple virtual disks from a central location.