Invalid VM -> Unable to access the specified host. It either does not exist, the server software is not responding, or there is a network problem.

[FrancWest]

Hi,

after the import of a VM, my ESX 3.5 host lost connectivity to VC 2.5. When connecting it gave the following error: Unable to access the specified host. It either does not exist, the server software is not responding, or there is a network problem. Howver, I was able to connect to the host directly using the infrastructure client. I deleted the invalid VM and after that the connection to VC was restored again. It took me a while to figure this out, since the error message is pretty misleading. I've tried al standard suggestions about this error message, but none helped until I deleted the invalid VM from the host.

Franc.

[sfont3n]

what i have done in the past when i see this is

remove host from VC

then do a mgmt-vmware restart on the host

then add the host back to vc

works every time

[AWo]

Please be aware of this thread before doing this:

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/117182?tstart=0

AWo

[FrancWest]

Hi,

awo: thanks for the warning...

that's the problem. I couldn't reconnect it. When reconnecting it asks for credentials and after that it shows the system information (make, model, etc) when pressing finish it reports that the host cannot be found...

However, after deleting the invalid VM I can add the host succesfully again.

Franc.

[admin]

Can you check the hostd log on the ESX host (/var/log/vmware/hostd.log) for errors like this:

"Disk was not opened successfully. Backing type unknown."

[FrancWest]

Hi,

that error isn't listed in the hostd logfiles.

Franc.

[Roman_Romano]

I too had that rather misleading error message and it also turned out to be a 'invalid VM'.

Someone had somehow managed to copy and register TWICE a corrupt VM with incorrect permissions. Deleting the VM in question cured the problem.

This was on an ESX 3.0.2 'fully patched as of 11-01-08' server through VirtualCenter 2.5

Regards

[postmaster]

Hello

I just have the same issue moving an ESX to a new VC2.5. When I reconnect the ESX I can see al informations about him and list of VM's runing onto, but I know that there are 2 VM whose are "orphaned" ..How do you distroy this orphaned host ?

thanks