Getting ServerFaultCode exception when trying to get refrance to a VM

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

I am using PHP 5 and its builtin SoapClient to connect to vCenter 5.5 web service. Login and log out functions are working but when call any FindBy methods I get the following exception:

SoapFault exception: [ServerFaultCode] The object has already been deleted or has not been completely created

I suspect this is not an issue with parameters but is a general issue with method calls. Please assist me to pass this part of my development.

Thanks in advance.

[stumpr]

How are you getting the SearchIndex object moref?  Do you get it from ServiceContent or do you make it yourself?

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

Thanks for reply. I'm calling RetrieveServiceContent and get service instance then provide its SearchIndex property as _this to find methods. Should I created myself by using new soapvar?

Regards

[stumpr]

No, you should use the moref provided by ServiceContent.

That error is usually the result of not having the right moref, or using a moref from a different session.  Do you have your sample SOAP to review?

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

service instance object which I get by RetrieveServiceContent does not have moref property. How do I get it?

[stumpr]

The property 'searchIndex' of ServiceContent is the moref.

Just checked, SearchIndex is not session specific, so you're safe there.  I think you'll need to post some of your code to get any better insights.  Other functions are working, correct?  Curious if you're handling cookies properly....but I would expect session invalid errors if you weren't authenticated. 

Here's some valid XML from the Perl SDK -

Request -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

   <soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"

                     xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"

                     xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

   <soapenv:Body>

<FindByDnsName xmlns="urn:vim25"><_this type="SearchIndex">SearchIndex</_this>

<dnsName>esx-01.vlab.local</dnsName><vmSearch>0</vmSearch></FindByDnsName></soapenv:Body></soapenv:Envelope>

Response -

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenc="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/"

xmlns:soapenv="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"

xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"

xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">

<soapenv:Body>

<FindByDnsNameResponse xmlns="urn:vim25"><returnval type="HostSystem">host-30</returnval></FindByDnsNameResponse>

</soapenv:Body>

</soapenv:Envelope>

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

Bellow is my whole code. Its a small script which logs on to the server and requests a reference to a VM.

[code]

<?

  try

  {

  $client = new SoapClient("https://198.204.235.179/sdk/vimservice.wsdl", array('location'=>"https://198.204.235.179/sdk"));

  // Setup service content

  $soap_message["_this"] = new SoapVar("ServiceInstance", XSD_STRING, "ServiceInstance");

  $result = $client->RetrieveServiceContent($soap_message);

  $service_instance = $result->returnval;

  //print_r($service_instance->content);

  // Login example via serviceinstance

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->sessionManager;

  $soap_message["userName"] = "administrator";

  $soap_message["password"] = "Cssrplinux2079!";

  $result = $client->Login($soap_message);

  $soap_session = $result->returnval;

  //print_r($soap_session);

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->SearchIndex;

  //$soap_message["datacenter"] = "Virtual DC 1";

  //$soap_message["path"] = "datastore2_vmserver2/Windows Base/Windows Base.vmx";

  $soap_message["path"] = "Virtual DC1/vm/Linux Test";

  $result = $client->FindByInventoryPath($soap_message);

  print_r($result->returnval);

  // Logout example

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->sessionManager;

  $result = $client->Logout($soap_message);

  }

  catch (Exception $e)

  {

  printf("%s\n",$e->__toString());

  return false;                            

  }

?>

[/code]

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

Bellow is my whole code. Its a small script which logs on to the server and requests a reference to a VM.

[code]

<?

  try

  {

  $client = new SoapClient("https://198.204.235.179/sdk/vimservice.wsdl", array('location'=>"https://198.204.235.179/sdk"));

  // Setup service content

  $soap_message["_this"] = new SoapVar("ServiceInstance", XSD_STRING, "ServiceInstance");

  $result = $client->RetrieveServiceContent($soap_message);

  $service_instance = $result->returnval;

  //print_r($service_instance->content);

  // Login example via serviceinstance

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->sessionManager;

  $soap_message["userName"] = "administrator";

  $soap_message["password"] = "Cssrplinux2079!";

  $result = $client->Login($soap_message);

  $soap_session = $result->returnval;

  //print_r($soap_session);

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->SearchIndex;

  //$soap_message["datacenter"] = "Virtual DC 1";

  //$soap_message["path"] = "datastore2_vmserver2/Windows Base/Windows Base.vmx";

  $soap_message["path"] = "Virtual DC1/vm/Linux Test";

  $result = $client->FindByInventoryPath($soap_message);

  print_r($result->returnval);

  // Logout example

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->sessionManager;

  $result = $client->Logout($soap_message);

  }

  catch (Exception $e)

  {

  printf("%s\n",$e->__toString());

  return false;                            

  }

?>

[/code]

[stumpr]

You may need to use the SoapVar method to generate the _this for the FindByInventoryPath call, that's the likely cause just from a quick glance.  You could also have the SoapClient output the serialized SOAP envelope to review the differences to be sure.

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

I changed my code to defind _this using the following code:

$soap_message["_this"] = new SoapVar(null, SOAP_ENC_OBJECT, "SearchIndex");

But it does not work! Result is the same.

[stumpr]

Are you using the SoapClient that supports $SOAP->__getLastRequest()?

If so, try to print out the request and post it here, from the XML I can probably deduce the issue.

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

It catches the exception exactly on the line which calls teh FindByInventory soap method so it does not reach the line which calls getLastRequest.

[stumpr]

That's right, never clear to call it.  Take a look here, maybe some of these steps might help you get a trace print of the XML request to find the error -

Inspect XML created by PHP SoapClient call before/without sending the request - Stack Overflow

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

THis the request if I set soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->SearchIndex:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:ns1="urn:vim25"><SOAP-ENV:Body><ns1:FindByInventoryPath><ns1:_this/><ns1:inventoryPath>Virtual DC1/vm/Linux Base</ns1:inventoryPath></ns1:FindByInventoryPath></SOAP-ENV:Body></SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

[stumpr · Accepted solution]

Yup, look at your "_this" node, it's empty.  But I just noticed that "SearchIndex" is capitalized.  Perhaps it's returning null b/c the property name is 'searchIndex' not 'SearchIndex'?

$service_instance->searchIndex;

[mdvlinguest]

Hi.

That simply fixed  the exception. However result of calling method returns an empty object as result of call which has no returnval

stdClass Object ( )

[stumpr]

What was the XML sent?

[mdvlinguest]

This is output:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:ns1="urn:vim25"><SOAP-ENV:Body><ns1:FindByInventoryPath><ns1:_this type="SearchIndex">SearchIndex</ns1:_this><ns1:inventoryPath>Virtual DC1</ns1:inventoryPath></ns1:FindByInventoryPath></SOAP-ENV:Body></SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

stdClass Object ( )

[stumpr]

It's working, you got back a managed object reference (object).  PHP doesn't have full object awareness of the SDK objects.

It worked for me in any event.  I have a DC01 in my inventory, I took your PHP, modified it and tested it:

$ php test.php

stdClass Object

(

    [_] => datacenter-21

    [type] => Datacenter

)

<?

  try

  {

  $client = new SoapClient("https://172.16.254.105/sdk/vimService.wsdl", array('location'=>"https://172.16.254.105/sdk"));

  // Setup service content

  $soap_message["_this"] = new SoapVar("ServiceInstance", XSD_STRING, "ServiceInstance");

  $result = $client->RetrieveServiceContent($soap_message);

  $service_instance = $result->returnval;

  //print_r($service_instance->content);

  // Login example via serviceinstance

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->sessionManager;

  $soap_message["userName"] = "administrator@vlab";

  $soap_message["password"] = "*";

  $result = $client->Login($soap_message);

  $soap_session = $result->returnval;

  //print_r($soap_session);

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->searchIndex;

  //$soap_message["datacenter"] = "Virtual DC 1";

  //$soap_message["path"] = "datastore2_vmserver2/Windows Base/Windows Base.vmx";

  $soap_message["inventoryPath"] = "DC01";

  $result = $client->FindByInventoryPath($soap_message);

  print_r($result->returnval);

  // Logout example

  $soap_message["_this"] = $service_instance->sessionManager;

  $result = $client->Logout($soap_message);

  }

  catch (Exception $e)

  {

  printf("%s\n",$e->__toString());

  return false;                           

  }

?>

[mdvlinguest]

So why I am getting empty object? How do I fix it?