1. A computer-implemented method for taking a snapshot of a virtual disk, comprising: issuing a command to a storage system to take a first copy-on-write (COW) snapshot of the virtual disk, wherein, after taking the first COW snapshot, the virtual disk comprises a logical storage volume hierarchy including at least a base logical storage volume and a snapshot logical storage volume; and changing a first disk descriptor file associated with the snapshot logical storage volume and a second disk descriptor file associated with the base logical storage volume to be associated instead with the base logical storage volume and the snapshot logical storage volume, respectively.