What does the Delete All Snapshots action do?

The Delete All Snapshots action in vSphere is designed to streamline the management of virtual machine snapshots. When this action is executed, it commits all intermediate snapshots back to the virtual machine, effectively merging the changes captured in those snapshots into the current state of the VM. After this process, all snapshots associated with the VM are removed.

This is beneficial for several reasons. First, it helps reclaim storage space that was being used by those snapshots, as the virtual machine no longer maintains multiple historical states. Instead, it operates from a single updated state that reflects all changes made during the snapshot period. This action is particularly useful when snapshots are no longer needed and the VM is ready to return to a clean, consolidated state.

In contrast, while deleting a VM or converting it to a template involves different processes focused on either permanently removing the virtual machine or repurposing it, these do not contribute to snapshot management. Likewise, simply removing the latest snapshot would not address the entire snapshot chain, which is why those options do not convey the complete functionality of the Delete All Snapshots action.