ESXI Version: 6.7.0 Update 3 (Build 14320388)

[Jatt007]

Hello, we had a windows server 2016 running on the ESXI server Version: 6.7.0 Update 3 (Build 14320388).

We are getting the below error when booting up the VM. 

Key

haTask-3-vim.VirtualMachine.powerOn-4198567041

Description

Power On this virtual machine

Virtual machine:

YYZ-REPORTING-VX

State

Failed - File /vmfs/volumes/ecec08bb-9171ac0d-0000-000000000000/YYZ-Reporting-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX_1-000001.vmdk was not found

Errors

• VMware ESX cannot find the virtual disk "/vmfs/volumes/ecec08bb-9171ac0d-0000-000000000000/YYZ-Reporting-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX_1-000001.vmdk". Verify the path is valid and try again.
• The system cannot find the file specified
• Cannot open the disk '/vmfs/volumes/ecec08bb-9171ac0d-0000-000000000000/YYZ-Reporting-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX_1-000001.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.
• Module 'Disk' power on failed.
• Failed to start the virtual machine.

When trying to revery back to snapshot. It is giving error 

Revert To Snapshot

Key

haTask-3-vim.vm.Snapshot.revert-4198567070

Description

Change the execution state of the virtual machine to the state of this snapshot

Virtual machine:

YYZ-REPORTING-VX

State

Failed - Detected an invalid snapshot configuration.

Errors

• An error occurred while reverting to a snapshot: A required file was not found.

The file does exist in the folder and the file size is 17.21.GB

There is another file named YYZ-REPORTING-VX.vmdk that is 100 GB file. Attaching the screenshot of the file. 

Any ideas on what is going on? We build a new ESXI with7.0 Update 3 server and tried to boot up the VM there as well but getting the same error. Appricate any guidance on this. Thank you!

[markey165]

First thing that springs to mind is to remove (NOT delete) the VM from inventory, then re-import the VM via its .vmx file and try powering the VM back on again.

This tends to clear a lot of strange issues. Does that fix the issue in this case?

[Sachchidanand]

Please see if the following KBs helps you solving your issue:

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1004232

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/82572

Regards,

Sachchidanand

[a_p_]

As a first step, please provide some information to help understanding the current situation.

For this, run ls -lisa > filelist.txt in the VM's folder, then compress/zip that filelist.txt along with the VM's .vmx, .vmsd, and the latest vmware.log file, and attach the .zip archive to your next reply.

André

[Jatt007]

Thank you very much. Attached are the files. For the log files I am not sure which one is the latest so I added all. 

[Jatt007]

I will try this as well. Thank you for the suggestion! 

[a_p_]

The issue is related to the VM's second virtual disk, which is located on another datastore.

scsi0:1.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/ecec08bb-9171ac0d-0000-000000000000/YYZ-Reporting-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX_1-000001.vmdk"

Please verify whether this datastore is accessible, and the VM's file(s) exist.

André

[Jatt007]

Strange the datastore exist but the file is missing from there. Let me try copying the YYZ-REPORTING-VX_1-000001.vmdk file to that path. 

It's a seperate datastore that we mounted off a NAS. 

[a_p_]

It's not only that file that's required, but also the base virtual disk, i.e. 4 .vmdk files (two descriptor files, and two data files).

André

[Jatt007]

This is what exist under that folder...There are some files there from before.

1700 55938304 -rw------- 1 root root 107374182400 Aug 20 15:35 YYZ-REPORTING-VX-000001-flat.vmdk
1701 4 -rw------- 1 root root 491 Aug 20 15:26 YYZ-REPORTING-VX-000001.vmdk
1421 9880924 -rw------- 1 root root 128849018880 Aug 19 02:38 YYZ-REPORTING-VX-flat.vmdk
1444 268 -rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 270840 Aug 19 02:34 YYZ-REPORTING-VX.nvram
1422 4 -rw------- 1 root root 484 Aug 19 02:34 YYZ-REPORTING-VX.vmdk
1429 0 -rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 0 Aug 19 02:19 YYZ-REPORTING-VX.vmsd
1481 4 -rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3724 Aug 19 02:36 YYZ-REPORTING-VX.vmx
1463 0 -rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 Aug 19 02:34 YYZ-REPORTING-VX.vmx.lck
1479 4 -rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 154 Aug 19 02:36 YYZ-REPORTING-VX.vmxf
1435 168 -rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 170946 Aug 19 02:33 vmware-1.log
1466 116 -rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 115693 Aug 19 02:38 vmware.log

[a_p_]

This look like a different VM with the same file names!?

Can you confirm that you looked for the missing files in the sub-directory

.../YYZ-Reporting-VX/YYZ-REPORTING-VX/...

André

[Jatt007]

ok yes looks like that path is gone. Not sure what happened. 

The VM had two drives one with OS installed "C Drive" and one with Data "D Drive"

We have backup of data D drive and I think that is the one that went missing. 

Is there any way to remove the D drive it's looking for and just boot from C drive. We can then create a new D drive and copy the data from backup. 

[a_p_]

Try to remove that second virtual disk from the VM's settings.

If that doesn't work for whatever reason, another option is to remove it (i.e. the lines that contain scsi0:1) directly from the configuration (.vmx) file, which however requires reloading the VM after the manual modification.

André

[Jatt007]

I removed it from vm settings and it booted up!!!!

It also brought back the D Drive too!!! Not sure how but I will take it...lol

I need to work on a better plan or this VM. Thank you so much for all the help!