VMware ESX cannot find the virtual disk
I just upgraded to VmWare ESXI 5 from 4.1 Everything seemed to go smoothly except for one VM which I run on a NAS. It showed up as an unidentified VM. I removed it from inventory and went to the datastore and re-added it. Now when I try to boot up I get the following error:
I have not touched any of the files in this VM and it was working until the upgrade. Any clue what to do? Thanks!
Reason: The system cannot find the file specified.
Cannot open the disk '/vmfs/volumes/a5382f67-077d12c4/Windows 2008 R2 - LBMX/Windows 2008 R2 - LBMX.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.
VMware ESX cannot find the virtual disk "/vmfs/volumes/a5382f67-077d12c4/Windows 2008 R2 - LBMX/Windows 2008 R2 - LBMX.vmdk". Verify the path is valid and try again. I have not touched any of the files in this VM and it was working until the upgrade. Any clue what to do? Thanks!
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
check the datastore inventory, can you screenshot the inventory and upload?
it's possible the virtual disk descriptor file is missing.
ASKER
I think you are going to have to visit the console or SSH remotely, and check the VMX file, is correct, check the datastore path is correct, and check you have the correct files on the datastore.
ASKER
I'm kind of new to vmware, is there a command to find out what the paths should be or what files it is looking for? It appears the file it cant find is right there. In the path though, after volume, there are those random characters, is that some id that could have changed?
you need to login and check the VMX file
ASKER
Thanks. So I have it open and I can see the path (which it obviously can't find) How do I know what the path should be?
you need to check the actual paths on the server
/vmfs/volumes
/vmfs/volumes
ASKER
I appreciate your help. Could you tell me how I browse this path? I can't find it anywhere.
type cd \vmfs\volumes
and check the UUID is correct long number
ASKER
Figured it out. I found it through ssh but got this error:
-ash: cd: can't cd to Windows
-ash: cd: can't cd to Windows
you need to use te correct folder
cd vmfs
cd volumes
ls -al
cd volumes
ls -al
ASKER
I wasn't using quotes. ok I got to the folder where the vmdk file is. Its right there. Any other clues
putty.png
putty.png
so is the vmdk in the correct path?
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ASKER
I'm starting to wonder if that is the case. Look how small the files are. There is definitely something missing. I wonder how it could just disappear like that.
yes, this is why I need a screenshot from the console, there should be two files like this as an example
-rwxrwxrwx 1 -2 -2 42949672960 Apr 3 21:39 cyrus-dc02-flat.vmdk
-rwxrwxrwx 1 -2 -2 546 Mar 22 15:32 cyrus-dc02.vmdk
a vmdk and a flat-vmdk, the vmdk is the actual descriptor, and is only small, the flat file is the actual data disk.
-rwxrwxrwx 1 -2 -2 42949672960 Apr 3 21:39 cyrus-dc02-flat.vmdk
-rwxrwxrwx 1 -2 -2 546 Mar 22 15:32 cyrus-dc02.vmdk
a vmdk and a flat-vmdk, the vmdk is the actual descriptor, and is only small, the flat file is the actual data disk.
something is also odd, because the size of the VMDK states 0, but the provisioned size states 419GB.
so it looks likes it's a think provisioned disk, which has currently not been used or formatted.
so it looks likes it's a think provisioned disk, which has currently not been used or formatted.
Run the command, esxcfg-nas -l
This should show the list of NFS shares mounted currently to the host. I guess the UUID is mapped correctly in your case, a5382f67-077d12c4.
I concur with hanccocka, the VM seems to be missing the actual data disk as per the screenshot.
This should show the list of NFS shares mounted currently to the host. I guess the UUID is mapped correctly in your case, a5382f67-077d12c4.
I concur with hanccocka, the VM seems to be missing the actual data disk as per the screenshot.