VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk)

A VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) is a file format used by virtual machines to store the entire contents of a virtual computer’s hard drive. Think of it as a digital container that holds all the data, operating system, applications, and files for a virtual machine. When you run a virtual machine on software like VMware, it reads and writes data to the VMDK file as if it were a physical hard drive. This format allows multiple virtual machines to operate independently on the same physical hardware, facilitating easy backup, migration, and management of virtualized environments.