VM with snapshots no longer starts after moving from stand-alone 6.5.0 to 6.5.0 U1 host

[lucvdveur]

I moved a VM from a 6.5.0 standalone ESXi host to another running 6.5.0 Update 1, like this:

• Unregistered the VM
• Used datstore browser ("Move" button at the top) to move the entire folder from the 6.5.0 host's internal datastore to an intermediate NFS datastore
• Used datastore browser on the 6.5.0 U1 host to move it from the NFS store to its own internal data store
• Registered the VM.

Now when I try to power it on, I get this (twice, once for each of its two virtual disks):

• File system specific implementation of LookupAndOpen[file] failed   <--- this message is repeated 4 times for each disk
• The specified feature is not supported by this version
• Cannot open the disk '/vmfs/volumes/5a3bf07a-a95a8100-928c-0cc47ac9ab4e/A2S4_2016_EmbStd/A2S4_2016_EmbStd-000002.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.
• Module 'Disk' power on failed.

There are 2 sets of snapshot files, -000001 and -0000002, I assume -000002 is the youngest.

The files exist, and so do the corresponding -delta.vmdk files.

I checked if the GUID matches the store as on the new server, in case it's the original from the old server that remained stuck, but it's the right one.

I found a very similar question from some months ago. The main difference is that there it was a move from 6.0 to 6.5, but the answer there didn't really help.

[lucvdveur]

Something I forgot, that may bear some importance:

The 6.5.0 without U1 host is actually running on Dell hardware, and as such, is running a Dell customized setup of ESXi.

A standard VMWare setup won't recognize your network adapters on a Dell.

The other is running a standard VMWare version on Supermicro hardware.

I don't thin kit should matter, but just in case: has anyone experienced that Dell customizes more than just hardware drivers?

[sandu]

Try steps from following link. It had worked for me in the past. But never tried using 6.5.

How to move VMware ESXi VM to new datastore using vmkfstools | Alessandro Arrichiello

Hope it works

Thanks

Sandeep

[lucvdveur]

Thanks Sandeep,

vmkfstools is how I usually did it too, but in this case there were snapshots that needed to remain intact, and AFAIK vmkfstools doesn't do that.

In the mean time I have copied the VM back to the original host, and there it just works again.

At least that alleviates the problem, I can now continue working up to a point where I don't need the snapshots anymore and then try the move again.

I might decide to use VCenter Converter Standalone this time, and just let it run as long as it takes, over the weekend.

[lucvdveur]

I think this is worth a follow-up.

I now have 3 copies of the VM, all made through the data store browser:

• One on the original host, but not the real original: it's been moved to NFS, from there moved to host 2, then copied back to NFS, then copied back to host 1.
  It works.
• The copy on NFS that remained there now after copying it back from host 2. I can register it at either host, it works on both.
• One on host 2, which still doesn't work, same error as in the original question.

My next attempt will be eliminating the snapshots, but that requires some extra work, won't be ready before the weekend.

When I was prompted "moved or copied" I always selected "moved", because ultimately there should be only one copy remaining, and I don't want its MAC address or anything to change (it's a Windows Server 2016 domain controller of a child domain, want to demote it first so the top of forest knows the child domain is gone -- that's also why I can't eliminate the snapshots right away).

[lucvdveur]

And I just discovered a difference.

The old host, where it works, was originally ESXi 5.0 (I think, maybe 5.5), upgraded to 6.5. Its local storage is VMFS5.

The new host, where it doesn't work, is VMFS6.

[sandu · Accepted solution]

Ah! In that you can try the following: Migrate the VM to 6.5 U1 and try power on.

VMFS 5 uses vmfssparse while VMFS 6 uses sesparse as default for all delta disk files. I think it you do a VM migration, the format will be changed.

Please do make sure to take backup before migrating, i have never tried this :smileysilly: .

Hope it works!

Thank you,

Sandeep

[lucvdveur]

Thanks, that must be it.

I got it to work, not exactly as you said, but by reverting to the state I needed and then deleting all snapshots.

I was finished with the other stuff I still had to do faster than I expected, deleted the snapshots, copied it over to the new host again, and it's running there now.