Cannot move VM from datastore

[daveclaussen]

I have a standalone host running vSphere Essentials, ESXi 4.1.0, 721871. On this server, I had four virtual Windows servers. I brought up a new standalone host running vSphere Essentials, ESXi 5.0.0, 768111. I wanted to relocate the four VMs from the v4 host to the v5 host. Two of them were relocated without issue. The other two will not allow me to move or copy the files. No matter what road I take, I always receive the following error during the copy:

“Error caused by file /vmfs/volumes/4e806201-55ea9cd6-ba49-00215a-d80666/vmname/vmname.vmdk”

I have tried:

- Migration through vCenter

- Datastore to datastore copy though vCenter

- Datastore to datastore copy though Veeam FastSCP

- Datastore download to local hard drive

- Datastore download to network drive

- Migration to a local VMFS 3.x datastore

- Migration to a local VMFS 5.x datastore

- Migration to a network VMFS 3.x datastore

- Migration to a network VMFS 5.x datastore

I have also fully patched the v4 host (including reboot without automatic VM startup) and updated the VMware tools on each of these VMs.

I have tried everything that I can think of and had way too much downtime doing so.

Does anyone have any ideas that might help me? The only thing that I have not tried is a restore of the VM from backup, and that is next.

Thanks to all!

- Dave

[LuigiC]

Why don't we have a look at whgat is inside .../vmfs/volumes/4e806201-55ea9cd6-ba49-00215a-d80666/vmname/

so how about the output of ls -l /vmfs/volumes/4e806201-55ea9cd6-ba49-00215a-d80666/vmname/

[onoski]

This might give you some insight as to what might be causing this and a possible work around.

I'd have a read through this VMware knowledge base article: http://http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId...

[daveclaussen]

/vmfs/volumes/4e806201-55ea9cd6-ba49-00215ad80666/SCGKRONAP01DW # ls -l
-rw-------    1 root     root        12884901888 Aug 24 17:59 SCGKRONAP01DW-ae69dd1a.vswp
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root                 13 Aug 26 05:35 SCGKRONAP01DW-aux.xml
-rw-------    1 root     root            5931520 Aug 26 05:35 SCGKRONAP01DW-ctk.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root       194347270144 Aug 28 13:44 SCGKRONAP01DW-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root               8684 Aug 24 17:38 SCGKRONAP01DW.nvram
-rw-------    1 root     root                590 Feb  8  2012 SCGKRONAP01DW.vmdk
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root                 44 Feb  9  2012 SCGKRONAP01DW.vmsd
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root               3118 Aug 26 02:48 SCGKRONAP01DW.vmx
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root               1607 Aug 24 17:37 SCGKRONAP01DW.vmxf
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            1576138 Feb 16  2012 vmware-1.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            1240230 Aug  5 04:55 vmware-2.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root             366745 Aug 24 13:47 vmware-3.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root             244198 Aug 24 17:38 vmware-4.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root             302213 Aug 27 04:27 vmware.log

[daveclaussen]

I am going from a VMFS 3.x volume (1MB block) to a VMFS 5.x (1MB block). I read the article that you referenced, but everything should be OK. Also, I receive the error when I try to download the VM folder to a local NTFS drive.