Here’s a clean, informative piece of content you can use for a blog post, knowledge base article, or internal documentation about downloading the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK).
After installation, you will find the following in the installation directory:
include/: Header files for C/C++ development.lib/: The binary libraries (libvixDiskLib.so or vixDiskLib.dll) required to link your applications.doc/: Reference guides and API documentation.samples/: Sample C++ code demonstrating how to open a VMDK and read metadata.The VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK) is a essential set of C/C++ libraries, tools, and utilities that allow backup and storage software to connect directly to VMware vSphere, access virtual disk files (VMDK), and perform efficient, file‑level or image‑level backups. download vmware vddk
If you’re setting up a backup solution (e.g., Veeam, Commvault, Nakivo, or a custom script using vmware-vdiskmanager), you’ll need the correct VDDK version for your vSphere environment.
The VDDK is distributed by VMware (now part of Broadcom) as a standalone package. It is not included in the standard ESXi or vCenter ISO files. Here’s a clean, informative piece of content you
The VDDK includes a powerful command-line utility. For example, to clone a thin-provisioned VMDK to a thick provisioned one:
vmware-vdiskmanager -r source.vmdk -t 2 dest.vmdk
Conversion types (-t):
Read and accept the VMware End User License Agreement (EULA). Then click the "Download Now" button for the .exe (Windows) or .tar.gz (Linux) package.
Direct URL pattern (example – will change over time):
https://developer.vmware.com/web/sdk/ (VMware often redirects legacy VDDK pages to the Developer Portal. As of 2025, the primary link is through Customer Connect or VMware Developer Center at developer.vmware.com). include/ : Header files for C/C++ development
Pro Tip: Bookmark the official VMware Developer SDKs page for future updates.