Enumerate vSAN 6.7 datastore shows uuid as file/folder namaes

[bbollard]

I am using PowerCLI 11.5 to enumerate files on a VSAN 6.7 datastore on ESX host (VMware ESXi, 6.7.0, 14320388).

Whether I access the datastore by creating a new PS drive or by switching to the vmstore: provider within the pwsh shell, I see the following when I list the children of the root:

dir | ft -autosize

Name Type Id
---- ---- --
6998ee5d-9e5f-2d0b-19c0-e4434b15b330 DatastoreFolder
69eae75d-c05f-aa28-f325-e4434b15b530 DatastoreFolder
197dee5d-504f-e56c-bdc9-e4434b15b330 DatastoreFolder
0e90ee5d-5a46-cbad-a475-e4434b15a360 DatastoreFolder
cd94ee5d-c0b0-90af-d068-e4434b15a360 DatastoreFolder
7f95ee5d-6a4e-1ce3-05dd-e4434b15a360 DatastoreFolder

These names are not the folder names but the folder UUID's. If you browse the datastore within the vCenter 6.7 HTML 5 UI, you the proper names (with the proper UUID). See the screenshot attached.

When performing the same action on a ESX 6.5 (VMware ESXi, 6.5.0, 13004031), it all works as expected. Has anyone else experienced this? Any workarounds to be able to locate these folder UUID's? Referencing the folders by these folder UUID does allow you to browse/navigate.

Thanks!

[LucD]

lamw​ has written a function for that, see https://code.vmware.com/samples/4622/list-folders-on-a-vsan-datastore-using-powercli#

[bbollard]

Thank you LucD, I'll check it out. 

Is this a bug in PowerCLI with how it works with VSAN 6.7? How can we get this fixed and restore the original, more intuitive behavor?

Regards,

Brian

[LucD]

No, no bug in PowerCLI, just a feature in the HTML5 client.

see William's tweet on the subject William Lam on Twitter: "In vSphere 6.7, the VSAN Datastore Browser UI now includes “Friendly Name” ...

[bbollard]

The behavior is defininately different. Here is the output targeting a VSAN datastore on ESX 6.5:

dir | ft -AutoSize  Name                                    Type            Id ----                                    ----            -- bc74bf5d-3283-4101-16bb-e4434b5a2100    DatastoreFolder    WINT0000CF76                            DatastoreFolder    d474bf5d-fadb-910b-efdf-e4434b5a2100    DatastoreFolder img                                     DatastoreFolder     WINT0000C98F                            DatastoreFolder    3bde945d-5e7a-7415-a7c6-e4434b5a0b90    DatastoreFolder    vm-e7be7d0f-7f64-49b1-be98-4bfc39e58d2b DatastoreFolder    1f6bbf5d-6e4a-a615-eae2-e4434b5a2100    DatastoreFolder    pns-ueokm001-01                         DatastoreFolder    2fec945d-3ab4-c623-2aa2-e4434b5a2100    DatastoreFolder    vm-9588cb21-95d7-4b92-a68f-69a7773e024c DatastoreFolder   

Here, you can see the 'img' folder displayed with its friendly name instead of UUID. The img folder is an empty folder created via PowerCLI, it is not a folder created by any vSphere create operation (New-VM, etc.). I am aware of the issue where folders created by VM's on VSAN will have a UUID folder and a friendly 'alias', I just wanted to be clear that is not in play here.

Thanks!

dir | ft -AutoSize

Name                                    Type            Id

----                                    ----            --

bc74bf5d-3283-4101-16bb-e4434b5a2100    DatastoreFolder   

WINT0000CF76                            DatastoreFolder   

d474bf5d-fadb-910b-efdf-e4434b5a2100    DatastoreFolder

img                                     DatastoreFolder    

WINT0000C98F                            DatastoreFolder   

3bde945d-5e7a-7415-a7c6-e4434b5a0b90    DatastoreFolder   

vm-e7be7d0f-7f64-49b1-be98-4bfc39e58d2b DatastoreFolder   

1f6bbf5d-6e4a-a615-eae2-e4434b5a2100    DatastoreFolder   

pns-ueokm001-01                         DatastoreFolder   

2fec945d-3ab4-c623-2aa2-e4434b5a2100    DatastoreFolder   

vm-9588cb21-95d7-4b92-a68f-69a7773e024c DatastoreFolder