In which type of VM storage does only the necessary amount of disk space get used?

Thin provisioning is a storage allocation method used in virtualized environments where only the required amount of disk space is consumed. When a virtual machine (VM) is created with thin provisioning, the storage system allocates space dynamically. This means that the virtual disk file initially takes up very little space on the physical disk, growing as more data is added to the VM.

This approach is particularly efficient because it allows for better utilization of available storage resources, as it avoids allocating large amounts of disk space that may never be used. Instead, it waits until data is actually written to the disk before consuming physical storage. This method is beneficial in environments where multiple VMs are deployed, as it helps to avoid wastage of storage by only consuming what is necessary at any given time.

In contrast, other provisioning methods, such as thick provisioning, allocate the entire amount of disk space upfront, regardless of actual usage, which can lead to inefficient use of storage resources.