Supported image formats

Proxmox supports the .raw, .qcow2, and .vmdk virtual disk formats. Each format has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. The image format is usually chosen based on the function of the virtual machine, storage system in use, performance requirement, and available budget. The following screenshot shows the menu where we can choose an image type during virtual disk creation through the GUI:

The following table is a brief summary of the different image formats and their possible usage:

Image type	Storage supported	Strength	Weakness
`.qcow2`	NFS and directory	Allows dynamic virtual storage of image files. Stable and secure. Most feature rich among image types.	Complex file formats with additional software layers. High I/O overhead.
`.raw`	LVM, RBD, iSCSI, and directory	No additional software layer. Direct access to image files. Stable, secure, and fastest.	Fixed virtual image only. Cannot be used to store dynamic images. VM takes longer to back up due to the size of image files.
`.vmdk`	NFS and directory	Works exceptionally well with the VMware infrastructure. Allows dynamic virtual storage of image files.	Additional software layer, thus slower performance. Not fully tested with Proxmox.

Proxmox is very forgiving with setting up virtual machines with the wrong image format. You can always convert these image types from one format to another. Conversion can be done from both the CLI and GUI. Virtual disk image conversion is explained later in this chapter.

Table of Contents for Supported image formats

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Table of Contents for
Supported image formats