vmdk file data storage ????

hi i m preux pursuing b.tech.  my last year thesis will be on the data stored in the vmdk file ?

firstly i will tell you how much i done ...

i will created 2 different vmdk

1 -sparse.vmdk

2 -flat.vmdk

open it into a hexeditor which provide me the hexadecimal structure  of  the vmdk files .by using virtual disk format 5.0 which is avilable on the vmware site i get some knowledge of the structure of the vmdk file .

when i read the structure of the -flat vmdk its similar to the hard disk structure i can easily seen the MBR(master boot record) ,PBR(partition boot record) and $MFT(master file table) in the -flat vmdk?

but when i go for the sparse its quite different from the -flat i am using the formula provided in the virtual disk format 5.0 through this i can only seen the  MBR and PBR but when we aplly this fomula for $MFT(master file table) i found nothing ?

so my question is that  how i can reach this master file table  in -sparse.vmdk on my way so that i can complete my thesis and degree also..?

thanxs in advance

preux