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lloydz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Missing VMDK After Transfer from Host to Host

Hi All:

We have simple, standalone ESXi servers and were wanting to move a VM from one host to another.  We powered down the VM and started a file transfer of the vmdk file (120GB) to the other host using Veeam.  The file transfer completed, but I can't find the vmdk file on the destination server anywhere.  The datastore on the recipient is now missing 120GB of space like it has received it, but it is no where to be found on the datastore.  Any assistance would be appreciated!

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lloydz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Is there anyway to browse the datastore without using the client?  The file is here somewhere, but the GUI is not showing it.

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a_p_
Leadership
Leadership

You can either login to the console or use e.g. WinSCP (if ssh is enabled) to view the contents of the datastore. The daatstores are located at /vmfs/volumes/<datastore-name>.

André

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Shakaal
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

if the recepient Datastore size is missing 120Gb then definitley the VM has got copied, try following steps:

Login to the console of the ESX host either directly or use Putty(ssh), once logged in run the following commands:

1# ls -l /vmfs/volumes

The above command will list all the available Datastores, check the name of the Datastore to which you copied the VM

2# ls -l /vmfs/volumes/<name of the Datastore found in abvoe command>

This will list the VM's in that Datastore, try to find out the VM which you copied, once found open Direct Vi client to the Host, Browse the Datastores and go to the location found in above command. try to find a file with extension "vmx", right click on the file a pop will come up select Add To Inventory and follow the wizard. And you will get your VM.

If the above to Steps fail and you are unable to find any VM, run following command

# ls -al this will list any folder which is hidden, basically all the folders starting with ". " are hidden.

you can also try fowlloing command

find /vmfs/volumes -iname "name of your VM"

Regards

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Shakaal
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Is the GUI not showing the VM folder or it's just the files which are missing, if files are missing most probably the descriptor file has gone missing or corrupt, check from command prompt, run "ls -l" in the VM folder and check for .vmdk files for each disk drive in VM there will 2 files one will be *flat.vmdk and other will be just *.vmdk. if second file is missing pleqase follow KB http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1002511

Regards

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lloydz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

When you say "run ls -l" from a command prompt, do you mean from the console?

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MauroBonder
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

may a option to solve this problem is recreate vmdk if you have a flat-vmdk.

look how recreate http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100251...

good luck

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Shakaal
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Sorry for delay @lloydz

Yes you are correct, from Console, also you can do SSH if it enabled.

Regards

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