CloneVM_Task throws MethodNotFoundFault

[pomattic]

Hey,

This is frustrating me... seems simple. Looks simple yet doesn't work...

I am trying to use the CloneVM_Task to do a simple clone, HostA cloned to HostB... no changes nothing new. But this is the exception I get:

AxisFault

faultCode: ServerFaultCode

faultSubcode:

faultString:

faultActor:

faultNode:

faultDetail:

MethodNotFoundFault: 416 CloneVM

I look in the sample provided with VI SDK 2.5 and it seems to be doing exactly what I am doing. Not quite the exact same way of doing things, but all the same values that are needed as parameters for the CloneVM_Task method are set and passed. Got frustrated and tried to call CloneVM() which gives me the below message (I read somewhere that CloneVM was for 1.0 and CloneVM_Task is post 2.0, so this error would make send if I read right. Do I understand this right? or is there some other diffrence betweek them?)

AxisFault

faultCode: ServerFaultCode

faultSubcode:

faultString: The operation is not supported on the object.

faultActor:

faultNode:

faultDetail:

NotSupportedFault: null

The code I am using to do this looks like this (the top values are tehre just to give you the object types):

ManagedObjectReference baseRef // has been set

ManagedObjectReference datastore // has been set

ManagedObjectReference vmFolder // has been set

VimPortType connexion // has been set

String clone // has been set

...

VirtualMachineCloneSpec vmcs = new VirtualMachineCloneSpec();

VirtualMachineRelocateSpec vmrs = new VirtualMachineRelocateSpec();

vmcs.setLocation(vmrs);

vmcs.setPowerOn(false);

vmcs.setTemplate(false);

ManagedObjectReference ref = connexion.cloneVM_Task(baseRef, vmFolder, clone, vmcs);

//wait for completion

...

I probably did/ missed something stupid and simple (I hope). A solution would be well appreciated.

M@

[ssurana · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Couple of things you can verify:

1. Make sure that you are running this operation on a Virtual Center and not on the ESX server directly

2. The "baseRef" mor should be a valid mor of a Virtual Machine. In you description "HostA" and "HostB" therefore please check properly the mor.type should be "VirtualMachine"

3. Note that the "CloneVM" is a method that is presented by the VI Perl toolkit which is the synchronized version of the method "CloneVM_Task". The actual API method is the "CloneVM_Task" which is again internally used by the VI Perl Toolkit. Therefore in the Java Stubs that you are using you would only have the "CloneVM_Task" method.

Based on the error you are getting I suspect you would be doing something wrong as per the point 1 and 2 above.

Hope the above suggestion helps you resolve the issue.

~ Sidharth

[pomattic]

Bang on.

That was the problem. Was going straight to the ESX Server. Thought it was something simple like that...

Thanks a lot!

M@

[ssandberg]

Are you saying that it is not possible to clone a vm with the api connecting directly to an ESX server?

[ssandberg]

Is it possible to clone a vm by issuing calls to an ESX server?

[pomattic]

Seems like it is not. (I may be wrong, if someone knows better please speak up).

I would love it if this was the case, so then I could get rid of VC.

The GUI implies that it is not possible... and the API likewise.

M@

[ssandberg]

At a vmware dev conference I was told that a person could literally write their own copy of VC using the api, because VC was only using the api to accomplish its functionality.

[pomattic]

In that case I am wrong : )

I would be very interested in finding a workaround to VC. I only use it for cloning right now since I was unable to find another solution.

If no one has yet, perhaps start a new discussion (everyones doing it : ), since this is drifting off the original topic.

(if you do so keep me posted : )

M@

[ssandberg]

I was told that you can do everything VC does with the api, that does not mean that you really can

Unfortunately it looks like you are correct.