Guest Tools shows as not running when accessed from vmware api, while they are installed and running

[shenoyg]

Hello all,

I am trying to run a command on a windows VM through the VMware API (vim25.jar) and I get the following error/fault.

com.sun.xml.internal.ws.fault.ServerSOAPFaultException: Client received SOAP Fault from server: A general system error occurred: vix error codes = (3016, 0).

Please see the server log to find more detail regarding exact cause of the failure.

  at com.sun.xml.internal.ws.fault.SOAP11Fault.getProtocolException(SOAP11Fault.java:178) ~[?:1.8.0_77]

  at com.sun.xml.internal.ws.fault.SOAPFaultBuilder.createException(SOAPFaultBuilder.java:124) ~[?:1.8.0_77]

  at com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.StubHandler.readResponse(StubHandler.java:238) ~[?:1.8.0_77]

  at com.sun.xml.internal.ws.db.DatabindingImpl.deserializeResponse(DatabindingImpl.java:189) ~[?:1.8.0_77]

  at com.sun.xml.internal.ws.db.DatabindingImpl.deserializeResponse(DatabindingImpl.java:276) ~[?:1.8.0_77]

  at com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.SyncMethodHandler.invoke(SyncMethodHandler.java:104) ~[?:1.8.0_77]

  at com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.SyncMethodHandler.invoke(SyncMethodHandler.java:77) ~[?:1.8.0_77]

  at com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.SEIStub.invoke(SEIStub.java:147) ~[?:1.8.0_77]

  at com.sun.proxy.$Proxy54.startProgramInGuest(Unknown Source) ~[?:?]

  at com.test.vmware.VmGuestOperations.runProgramInGuest(VmGuestOperations.java:267) ~[management-0.0.1.jar:?]

The VIX error code 3016 indicates Guest Tools are not running. However, I check if guest tools and running and installed (again through the java api) before calling the "runProgramInGuest" method.

Please note, this fault is also seen in some cases while trying to call the "listProgramsInGuest" method.

Also, when the error says, "Please see the server log", which log am I supposed to look at for VM Guest Operations?

Funnily though, this happens on only one of the clones of a Base VM. i.e., I clone a base VM three times (linked clones) and run a program in the guest. This fault is seen only on one of the VMs and runs successfully on other two.

Infrastructure

vCenter - version 6.0.0, Build 3339084

ESXi - version 6.0.0 GA, Build 2494585

any ideas/suggestions why this seems to be happening?

Thanks in advance

[shenoyg · Accepted solution]

Hello,

It turns out that the problem was during cloning. The linked clones were being created using the diskMoveType set to "CREATE_NEW_CHILD_DISK_BACKING"

But when the linked clones were created using the diskMoveType set to "MOVE_ALL_DISK_BACKINGS_AND_ALLOW_SHARING" the problem doesnt occur anymore.

VMware Tools are installed on the base VM and I understand the base disk is shared among the linked clones but I always thought that the base disk would become read only when the linked clones are created. If so, then why would a "Tools not running" error occurs? Arent the "vmware tools" files being read from the base disk and executed through the clone RAM/vmswp? Am I missing something?

Can anyone explain why this error occurs when Linked clones are created using "CREATE_NEW_CHILD_DISK_BACKING" ? Also, a link/document to understand Linked clones thoroughly would help.

Thanks in advance