Recompose fails with Invalid configuration for device '1'

[briancgawith]

Not everytime but very often and seemingly at random when I try to recompose a linked clone it fails with the:

Invalid configuration for device '1'

on the ESXi server events. In the VMware View Administrator events it shows an error on the Connection Server module that reads

Provisioning error occurred for Machine BT_W7_x32_CAD9: Refit operation resync failed

When I look into the Composer logs I see the following errors

2011-07-06 14:26:21,382 | VC thread     | FATAL | CommonLib.VcSubsystem.LroVcTask - Got VcFault: VMware.Sim.CommonLib.Exception.SimVcSubsystemException: Invalid configuration for device '1'. ---> System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Invalid configuration for device '1'.
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---, Machine Name: VCENTER, Timestamp: 7/6/2011 7:26:21 PM, App Domain Name: SviWebService.exe, Thread Identity: , Windows Identity: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM, OS Version: Microsoft Windows NT 5.2.3790 Service Pack 2, vcFaultName:  vcFaultDetails: System.Xml.XmlElement for task: task-5019
2011-07-06 14:26:21,382 | VC thread     | FATAL | ServiceCore.Action.VcAction - The VC Operation failed with error: VMware.Sim.CommonLib.Exception.SimVcSubsystemException: Invalid configuration for device '1'. ---> System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Invalid configuration for device '1'.
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---, Machine Name: VCENTER, Timestamp: 7/6/2011 7:26:21 PM, App Domain Name: SviWebService.exe, Thread Identity: , Windows Identity: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM, OS Version: Microsoft Windows NT 5.2.3790 Service Pack 2, vcFaultName:  vcFaultDetails: System.Xml.XmlElement

At first I thought maybe it had to do with a strange little problem where the base images have a CD-ROM attached that is using an ISO but the image attached just shows [] so I removed CD-ROM drive from the base and then took another a new snapshot. But still each time I try to recompose it keeps adding the CD-ROM drive back on and it still uses the [] ISO property. If the recompose fails I have to force a delete of the system and then when it auto recreates it works fine even with the screwed up ISO image attached. So I'm not sure that's what the issue really is.

I also found an article that suggested that the problem could be the Hard Drive position. So I tried changing the hard drive position from 0:0 to 0:1 and that still didn't fix anything.

So now I'm unable to figure out what to to fix this issue. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

Verison information:

vCenter Server: 4.0.0, 208111

View View: 4.6.0 build-366101

ESXi Server: 4.0.0, 208167

All Guest OS: Windows 7 Professional

[npeter]

Hi,

If my understanding is correct, since the master from which pool is created contains CD-Drive as iso image, all recompose operations on that pool is likely to fail. This is because the recompose operation involves dettaching disks and drives from existing desktop.That means recompose will fail even if you try to recompose this pool to a good new snap-shot.

Better option is to create a new pool from using a snap-shot where the CD-drive is selected as Client device.

-noble

[briancgawith]

If the base images no longer have the ISO attached why is it still re-adding it during the recompose? Also why would only recompose be affected but if its a fresh build it wourks fine?

[npeter]

Hi,

If the pool is created from a snap-shot where cd-drive points to an iso image, performing reompose operation to any snapshot (with or without cd-drive pointing to iso image) will fail.This happens not beacuse of new snapshot but because the pool desktop has a cd-drive pointing to inaccessible iso image.

Existing Pool should work fine as long as there is no recompose / rebalance done on it.

If you want to recompose pool to different snapshot, you can try this though i'm not sure about the effectiveness.

make an iso ( same old one?) image available to the desktop (attach as cd-drive) and perform a recompose only on that desktop to new clean snap-shot on parent vm.

-noble

[MauroBonder]

Check if this procedure apply for you

This issue  can happen if the virtual machine used to create the template has  either a floppy diskette drive or CD-ROM drive connected to it.

To ensure the template deploy is successful, remove any floppy diskette drives or CD-ROM drives from the configuration.

To remove floppy diskette drives or CD-ROM drives:

1. Right-click the template in the inventory pane and click Convert to Virtual Machine.
2. Right-click the virtual machine in the inventory pane and click Edit Settings.
3. Remove any floppy diskette drives or CD-ROM drives from the configuration.
4. Right-click the virtual machine in the inventory pane and click Convert to Template.

[DrOctane]

I had a similar problem with Invalid configuration for Dev 0. Problem was a mounted ISO that I forgot about and made several snapshots. This would not be to much of an issue if we didnt have 800 production VMs tied to these snapshots and deleting them and their virtual layer was not an option. Here is what I did and it worked perfectly for me. Note that it is a little work and Im finding a more streamline approach.

1. On the VMs in the pool that you want to recompose, use Edit Settings and change the CD/DVD drive to Client Device. Then shutdown the guest OS and creat a snapshot (for each of the VMs) with any name you desire.

2. On the VMs in the pool that you want to recompose, delete the snapshot named 'vdm-initial-checkpoint' and rename your new snapshot to 'vdm-initial-checkpoint'.

3. Recompose to new snapshot that does not have an ISO mounted and CD/DVD drive to Client Device.

The composer will revert, delete snapshot and build new replicas for new VMs. I have done this procedure a couple of times with 100% success.

Good luck.