ESXi 6.7 - Consolidate disks fails

[andypircher]

Consolidate disks on two VMs fails with error.

XSIbackup creates backups, but then fails to delete snapshots.

Even a turned-off VM fails with:

     Fehler beim Konsolidieren der Festplatten: Eine der Festplatten in dieser virtuellen Maschine wird bereits von einer anderen virtuellen Maschine oder einem Snapshot verwendet.

     (disk used by another VM or by a snapshot)

I checked the config files and the only thing I found is a reference in the .vmsn files to a .vswp file that doesn't exist.

Can this be the cause, or am I missing something?

Where can I find more info in the issue?

P.S.: I accidentally marked as solved, but it isn't! How to remark as unsolved?

[daphnissov]

When consolidation fails, it's usually because another system (a proxy in this case?) has a lock on the disks it's backing up. I have never heard of that backup application, but if it's using a virtual appliance as a proxy, you may check to see if it still is holding on to the source VM's disk(s).

[andypircher]

Hi,

I don't know exactly what you mean by proxy,

but XSIbackup runs directly from ESXi cli in cron.

No process of xsibackup is running (checked with pc -c | grep xsi)

If there was a lock, I shouldn't be able to rename or delete the VM folder, right?

For one VM I solved copying over a backup.

However it didn't run until I deleted the .vmsd file.

May the backed up .vmsd file be the issue, even if the backup is no registred as a VM on ESXi ui?

[andypircher]

On the other machine now I get a: vim.fault.GenericVmConfigFault

[daphnissov]

I'd recommend you ask the vendor since this is their software.

[andypircher]

You mean vmware, as ESXi is failing?

[ankurgoyal01]

Hi,

Incase the consolidation is failing using vcenter, first of all check if the disk is locked by any backup appliance.

If yes, remove the disk from the Backup appliance and initiate the consolidation.

Incase it is still the same problem, then take the putty session and run the vmkfstools command as below:

vmkfstools -i /vmfs/volumes/Storage1/examplevm/examplevm.vmdk /vmfs/volumes/Storage2/examplevm_clone.vmdk

You see output similar to:

    Destination disk format: VMFS thick

    Cloning disk '/vmfs/volumes/Storage1 (3)/examplevm/examplevm.vmdk'...

    Clone: 100% done.

There after

Regards

Ankur

[andypircher]

This would be the last thing to try,

or I'll just restore a xsi backup.

I tried the following:

- power off the vm

- reboot ESXi

Nothing helped to be able to remove the snapshots.

Is there a way to get more information about the error?

Maybe it's related to my other problem with USB?

     ESXi 6.7 - USB device listed with lsusb but not able to connect to VM

Is there a way to safely remove  usb.autoConnect entries from .vmsn files?

[daphnissov]

No, the vendor who is providing you XSIbackup. The vendor tool is what takes snapshots and takes the backup. That tool is causing consolidation failed messages, so ask them.

[andypircher]

I really don't think the problem is xsibackup,

as it works without problems on all the other VMs (XP, Linux, FreeBSD, Windows 10, ...).

I think it just creates snapshot using some vmware api, is they are showing as such in the snapshot manager.

First I made some snapshots,

later I started with xsibackup.

Event the very first snapshot can't be removed.

Everything is working again on the other VM I restored from backup, which now has no faulty snapshots.

On these VMs the host probably messed up something when I tried to attach some USB HDDs (which didn't work).

So you think I have to restore from backup every time it gets messed up?

Or is there another solution?

[andypircher]

Restored this machine from backup, too,

Backup is now working without issues and snapshots get deleted.

USB unfortunately still doesn't work,

upgrading to ESXi 6.7 U1 didn't help.