ESXi

I got a vm I want to do vmotion storage on, but I get prevented from doing so because the ESX host thinks a client has CD/DVD connected. Nobody has any console open to it.

The vmotion message is:

Virtual machine is configured to use a device that prevents the operation: Device 'CD/DVD Drive 1' is a connected device with remote backing[/quote]

When I go to edit settings of that vm, it shows under CD/DVD Drive 1 that it is connected to another client. Called Vmware support, they got no clue, tried to restart hostd and vpxa, but neither helped either.

Anyone have a clue how to fix this, without power down?

If CD is connected to client device connection persists until it is manually disconnected or person connected CD closes his session (vSphere Client). Even if VM Console is closed connection still persists.

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MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

I have already asked all my coworkers, nobody of them says they connected an image/local drive and they have all closed their vSphere clients at this point.

Try using powercli

This might help

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/33683

yep, that did it

# vmware-cmd /vmfs/volumes/4a275aac-fece2be9-7843-00237df270a0/vmsapdev02/vmsapdev02.vmx disconnectdevice ide1:0

disconnectdevice(ide1:0) = 1

Now it shows not connected and I can do vmotion storage.

To update this a bit, in powercli 5.1 (and possibly newer) the relevant command looks something like:

get-cdDrive -vm "My VM Name" | set-cddrive -connected $false

(ensure you "eject" the cd on the guest first, otherwise you'll get a warning you have to respond to in vsphere client to say yes override the lock / no don't do anything)