ESX 3.5 vmkfstools problem

[poken77]

Hi guys..

I am having problems using vmkfstools command !!! i try to clone a VM , the VM was origibally created with VMware Server and I want to move it to our new ESX 3.5, so when creating a VM with ESX a try to select an existing .vmdk for the new VM but the ESX doesn't see the .vmdk....so i found that first i need to use the vmkfstools -i <source> <destination> and here is where i am having problems

i am running the following command

vmkfstools -url https://x.x.x.x/sdk/webService -i /home/ubuntu804server.vmdk /home/ubuntu804serverNew.vmdk

and i always get :

Unable to clone virtual disk : A general system error occurred: Internal error

nothing else...the error doesn't say that much

the command is rum from an special VM dowloaded from VMware website that run command remotetly since the version 3.5 does NOT have the vmkfstools installed...I try the command above to create a new virtual disk and it worked...

any suggestion??????

thanks a lot for your time

[Gerrit_Lehr]

Is the VM powered down? I reackon this is necessary to clone. And I am pretty sure that my ESX 3.5 have vmkfstools, are you logged in as root?

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

If you found this or other information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful".

[poken77]

i can not even create the VM since I can not attached the existing virtual disk because the ESX dose NOT see the .vmdk when browsing !! and I look again andthe ESX 3.5 does NOT have the vmkfstools command ...all it has is:

vmstat vmware-autopoweron.sh vmware-config.pl vmware-vimsh

vm-support vmware-cmd vmware-vim-cmd vmware-watchdog

vmware vmware-configcheck vmware-vimdump

yes..I am root !!! that is why i have to run the command remotely

the command works fine if I try to create a virtual disk....but for what i need is to use the "-i" option to clone the virtual disk and point the new VM on 3.5 to the new generated .vmdk

suggestions.... ???

thanks

[Gerrit_Lehr]

What you propably did is login as user and do su instead of su - :

$ su

Password:

# vm

vmstat vmware-cmd vmware-vimdump

vm-support vmware-configcheck vmware-vimsh

vmware vmware-config.pl vmware-watchdog

vmware-autopoweron.sh vmware-vim-cmd

# su -

# vm

vmfsqhtool vmkload_mod vmware-autopoweron.sh

vmfsqueuetool vmklogger vmware-cmd

vmkchdev vmkpcidivy vmware-configcheck

vmkdump vmkping vmware-config.pl

vmkerrcode vmkuptime.pl vmware-hostd

vmkfstools vmres.pl vmware-hostd-support

vmkiscsid vmsnap_all vmware-mkinitrd

vmkiscsi-device vmsnap.pl vmware-vim-cmd

vmkiscsi-ls vmstat vmware-vimdump

vmkiscsi-tool vm-support vmware-vimsh

vmkiscsi-util vmware vmware-watchdog

vmkloader vmware-authd vmware-webAccess

Please check that and retry directly from the console, to avoid running into a problem with the remote cli.

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

If you found this or other information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful".

[mike_laspina]

Hi,

Where did you get this command option from -url [https://x.x.x.x/sdk/webService]?

I have never seen that one before.

You need to move the file to a vmfs store on the server then you can use vmkfstools on it.

You should use vmware converter for this task.

It's free and will be much easier.

[poken77]

it worked Thanks a lot Sinac

you were right, I did "su" instead of "su -" that's why i didnt see the command !!!

thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge and to all vmware community

[poken77]

i got that command from a VM that you download with ESX 3.5. it has commands that execute tasks remotetly not local

I'll take a look a the converter!!!

thanks for the suggestion

thanks all

[Gerrit_Lehr · Accepted solution]

It would be great if you could award point for Correct and Helpful answers for our help, thank you and good luck!

Kind Regards,

Gerrit Lehr

If you found this or other information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful".

[petedr]

the difference is su just does a switch user and keeps the environment the same while a su - ( short for -l or -login ) and creates a new shell which runs the user startup scripts and sets the correct environment.

[blentzzz]

Not to highjack an old thread, but I am getting the exact same error when running vmkfstools.pl from a Windows management machine with VMware VI Remote CLI installed on it, executing against a ESXi 3.5 system with root permissions against a .vmdk file that was uploaded with Datastore Browser, and is not connected to a powered on (or even inventoried) machine. If I shell into the "unsupported" shell on the ESXi console, it works like a charm.

perl bin/vmkfstools.pl --server vm1 -i /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/SAV01.vmdk /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/SAV01_new.vmdk

Unable to clone virtual disk : A general system error occurred: Internal error

[jlewis0021]

I need to report another issue somewhat related to the others. I have VMware ESXI 3 and I am running a script from a WIndows machine using RCLI to copy a VM from the /datastore1 to /backups on the same server. and my script errors out on the following command:

<![endif]><![if gte mso 9]>

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@font-face

{font-family:"Cambria Math";

panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;

mso-font-charset:0;

mso-generic-font-family:roman;

mso-font-pitch:variable;

mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;}

@font-face

{font-family:Calibri;

panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;

mso-font-alt:"Arial Rounded MT Bold";

mso-font-charset:0;

mso-generic-font-family:swiss;

mso-font-pitch:variable;

mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;}

/* Style Definitions */

p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal

{mso-style-unhide:no;

mso-style-qformat:yes;

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font-size:12.0pt;

font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";

mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;

mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;}

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{mso-style-type:export-only;

mso-default-props:yes;

mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;

mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;

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mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";

mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

@page Section1

div.Section1

-->

echo Copy VM

vmkfstools.pl --server %ESXHOST% --username %USER% --password %PASS% -a lsilogic -d thin -i %DATASTOREPATH%/%1/%1.vmdk %SNAPSHOTPATH%/%1/%1.vmdk

The message I receive in the output.txt is the following:

Can't call method "fault_string" without a package or object reference at E:\Pro

gram Files\VMware\VMware VI Remote CLI\bin\vmkfstools.pl line 480.

Does anyone know how to correct this issue?? Let me know if you need more background, thank you in advance!

Justin

[lamw]

Syntax should be the following:

vmkfstools.pl -i [src_vmdk] -a lsilogic -d thin [dst_vmdk]

(e.g.)

vmkfstools.pl --server %ESXHOST% --username %USER% --password %PASS% -i %DATASTOREPATH%/%1/%1.vmdk -a lsilogic -d thin %SNAPSHOTPATH%/%1/%1.vmdk

Anytime you're unsure of the command syntax, you can always run --help

=========================================================================

--William

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

[jlewis0021]

Thanks, can this command be run using remote CLI?

So my script should should reflect your modifications like this?

echo Copy VM

vmkfstools.pl -i sample.vmdk -a lsilogic -d thin sample_new.vmdk

</code>

[lamw]

Yes, vmkfstools.pl is part of the RCLI which I assume you're executing on either a Windows or Linux system.

You should also take a look over the RCLI documentation, it'll be helpful if you're new to it.

=========================================================================

--William

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at: