VMware ESX Virtual Machine invalid

[saschmidt]

Hi,

I've got a problem running a virtual machine on an esx server. The ESX server marks a virtual machine as "invalid" within the virtual center. Nothing was changed on this virtual machine and no changes were made.

If I try to add the virtual machine via console:

/usr/bin/vmware-cmd -s register /vmfs/volumes/480da632-7542d5c5-97cb-000423c3c8ca/vm-mrswb/vm-mrswb.vmx

a machine called "unknown (invalid)" is added to the virtual center.

Someone has a hint how to fix and troubleshoot this?

Thanks in advance

Sascha

the .vmx file:

#!/usr/bin/vmware

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "4"

floppy0.present = "true"

nvram = "vm-mrswb.nvram"

powerType.powerOff = "default"

powerType.powerOn = "default"

powerType.suspend = "default"

powerType.reset = "default"

displayName = "vm-mrswb"

extendedConfigFile = "vm-mrswb.vmxf"

scsi0.present = "true"

scsi0.sharedBus = "none"

memsize = "256"

scsi0:0.present = "true"

scsi0:0.fileName = "vm-mrswb.vmdk"

scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

ide0:0.present = "true"

ide0:0.clientDevice = "true"

ide0:0.fileName = "/usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/linux.iso"

ide0:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

ide0:0.startConnected = "false"

floppy0.startConnected = "false"

floppy0.fileName = "/dev/fd0"

floppy0.clientDevice = "true"

ethernet0.present = "true"

ethernet0.allowGuestConnectionControl = "false"

ethernet0.networkName = "VLAN_192"

ethernet0.addressType = "vpx"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:94:7f:40"

ethernet1.present = "true"

ethernet1.networkName = "l3vpn"

ethernet1.addressType = "vpx"

ethernet1.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:94:74:4b"

guestOS = "linux"

uuid.bios = "50 14 cf 6f 29 52 63 e7-e4 d6 d3 45 d3 20 25 68"

log.fileName = "vmware.log"

sched.cpu.min = "0"

sched.cpu.units = "mhz"

sched.cpu.shares = "normal"

sched.mem.minsize = "0"

sched.mem.shares = "normal"

cpuid.80000001.ecx.amd = "--

---

RRR-0-"

checkpoint.vmState = ""

scsi0:0.redo = ""

vmware.tools.requiredversion = "7202"

guestOSAltName = ""

tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

uuid.location = "56 4d c0 42 c5 78 43 d5-9a 03 bc 02 e2 0e 64 da"

migrate.hostlog = "./vm-mrswb-cb68677c.hlog"

sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/480da632-7542d5c5-97cb-000423c3c8ca/vm-mrswb/vm-mrswb-cb68677c.vswp"

cpuid.1.eax = "xxxx--

---

xx--

---

"

cpuid.1.ecx = "--

---

RRRR----

---

"

cpuid.1.edx = "--

---

T--"

cpuid.80000001.eax.amd = "xxxx--

---

xx--

---

"

cpuid.80000001.edx = "--

---

H--

---

"

cpuid.80000001.edx.amd = "---R

---

H--T--"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

sched.mem.max = "256"

tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"

[Rubeck]

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted" ?

Does the VM come from a Workstation ver. or something? Try to backup the .vmx file, remove the line and re-add it to VC..

Or create a new custom VM and use existing disks..

/Rubeck

[saschmidt]

I've recreated the vm and used the existing disk. It worked... But I still miss the point why the VM was suddenly broken. It always was an ESX instance.

Greets

Sascha

[kjb007]

I've seen this happen when power management was enabled within the vm. When the machine was up, it had no issues, but when it was shutdown using OS tools that ESX did not understand, the vm went down, but it went into an unknown state, which is what you were seeing. The vm was not seen as completely shutdown from ESX point of view, so it could not be properly started. I basically removed the vm from inventory, and then added it back in. That's all that was required when I ran into this issue with some Netware vm's that did not shutdown properly after a tools install, and were shutdown from within the vm.

-KjB

[Feltrek]

Hi,

I have a similar issue. Though I agree that the (invalid) most likely is the result of the ESX host not knowing the state of the guest. Removing it from Inventory and Adding it back still leaves the host as (invalid).

Just and FYI and I will further investigate.

Last part of my log:

Dec 06 23:31:25.089: vcpu-0| VMMon_WaitForExit: vcpu-0: worldID=1118

Dec 06 23:31:25.168: mks| Async MKS thread is exiting

Dec 06 23:31:25.169: vmx| DnD rpc already set to 0

Dec 06 23:31:25.169: vmx| TOOLS received request in VMX to set option 'enableDnD' -> '0'

Dec 06 23:31:25.184: vmx| MKS local poweroff

Dec 06 23:31:25.188: vmx| Lock before MKS lock created. Early poweroff?

Dec 06 23:31:25.188: vmx| Unlock before MKS lock created. Early poweroff?

Dec 06 23:31:25.189: vmx| scsi0:0: numIOs = 0 numMergedIOs = 0 numSplitIOs = 0 ( 0.0%)

Dec 06 23:31:25.206: vmx| DISKLIB-VMFS : "/vmfs/volumes/afcf5a9e-69f8eab8/mpc.example.com/mpc.example.com-flat.vmdk" : closed.

Dec 06 23:31:26.501: vmx| vmdbPipe_Streams Couldn't read: OVL_STATUS_EOF

Dec 06 23:31:26.501: vmx| VMX idle exit

Dec 06 23:31:26.508: vmx| Flushing VMX VMDB connections

Dec 06 23:31:26.512: vmx| IPC_exit: disconnecting all threads

Dec 06 23:31:26.512: vmx| VMX exit.

Dec 06 23:31:26.512: vmx| AIOMGR-S : stat o=1 r=0 w=0 i=2 br=0 bw=0

[Feltrek]

I was able to resolved my invalid Guest following this post.

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1006733#1006733

In my case I moved the .hlog, nvram, vmxf to /tmp before deleting.

thanks,