Starting disconnected VM's in VI Toolkit?

[JerryH]

Hi, I've been pondering about how to start VM's that resided on a host that has crashed.

Normally I enter another ESX and run vmware-cmd to start them up if I don't expect to see the orginal host up anytime soon. (HW crash...)

In VI Toolkit I can list the VM's that are disconnected and get the information that I wants/needs, but I get the standard problem when trying to start them, "can't start a disconnected VM..."

I think I can get it to work with plink or something equal and pipe ssh commands to the other ESX servers, but that feels a bit down and dirty when im working with Powershell...

So...does anyone know how to start a disconnected VM through VI Toolkit in a reasonably easy way? (Rather not unregister)

/J

[LucD · Accepted solution]

You first move (vmotion) the VM to an ESX server that is started.

There should be some sample scripts of hwo to do that with the VI Toolkit.

Then you should be able to start the VM without a problem.

[JerryH]

Ok so the VMotion procedure still works on a disconnected VM with the Toolkit? (I've never tried it)

If that's the case it would be perfect!

/J

[LucD]

To make sure I understood your question correctly, we are talking of ESX servers in a cluster ?

With the VMs on datastores that are accessible from all the ESX servers ?

As a test you try the option from the VI Client on a disconnected VM.

[JerryH]

Yeah, it's a cluster.

Just tested it and it works great, never considered it would work, so i've never tried it.

But that was exactly what i needed, thanks!

/J