VMWare ESXi 4.1 - There is no more space for virtual disk , VM SBS 2011 doesn't start

Thanks
 Step 7. How to copy files between different datastores? Datastore browser opens only one datastore at the time.

Btw. I have these large files in the original datastore of this VM
SBS2011_1.vmdk       Size:109 109 200,00 KB   Provisioned Size: 157 286 400,00 KB
vmware64-core2.gz   Size: 45 546,80 KB  Provisioned Size: no data here
vmware64-core3.gz   Size: 45 465,23 KB  Provisioned Size: no data here  
vmware64-core0.gz   Size: 45 763,64 KB  Provisioned Size: no data here
vmware64-core1.gz   Size: 45 461,23 KB  Provisioned Size: no data here

Further more the original Messege where this (Currently I don't know why word "backup" is referred on the message):

"Message on Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std: There
is no more space for virtual disk
/vmfs/volumes/4fc9dc43-0aea69d8-34e7-78acc0-
115eb2/Tukikomppania SBS2011
Backup/Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std2.vmdk. You
might be able to continue this session by freeing
disk space on the relevant volume, and clicking
Retry. Click Cancel to terminate this session.
info
29.12.2012 22:58:12
Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std
User"

Aha

I'd found the "backup" datastore. It is a iSCSI disk (a NAS device) and it holds backups of the VMs of this host.

It has 173GB free space of 999,75 GB size according VSpere Client's "Configuration / Storage" -Window. I believe that the SBS 2011 backup believes that the disk is full. Wonder why it prevents the server to boot.

Datastore browser tells this:
xxxx.vmdk   Size: 368 320 500,00 KB   Provisioned Size: 1 048 576 000,00 KB

What can I do?

Rgs,

Juha

Hi

I don't have snapshots.

The vSphere Client  Snapshot Mangers states that there are no snapshots.
Based on your article there are no snapshots.
Disk file name is: [Fast15k-146GB-SAS-RAID1] Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std/Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std2_1.vmdk
Please find attached PDF PrintScreens.

What should I do?

Rgs, Juha
vSphereClientSBS2011DoesntStart.pdf

Hi.  If you look at the 2nd page of your upload, you'll notice that the file it's complaining about is ...\Tukikimppania SBS2011 Backup\Tukikiomppania SBS2022 Std2.vmdk.
The  folder you showed us in the first picture was ...\Tukikomppania SBS 2011 Std\...

I'm not sure the folder you showed us is the datastore the VM is using.  Maybe something got crossed in the past.  In vClient, can you get a summary image of the VM so I can see what datastore it's using, and then give me an image of that datastore.
The folders just don't make sense to me right now.

Marco

Hi

Please see attached Image of Summary Page.

Rgs, Juha
SummaryPage.pdf

Hi

Please find attached image of the Datastore Temp1
Temp1-Datastore.pdf

Hi

Please find attached image of the Datastore "Fast15-146GB-SAS-RAID1"

Rgs,

Juha
Fast15-146GB-SAS-RAID1--Datastor.pdf

Hi

Antoher person setup this VM. He is now on holidays at another country.

He did menton something about this setup. Hmm.. thought that we have only backups on iSCSI target. Surely the related names (he has designated) can be confusing for any object. Perhaps some temp setup has ended to a production enviroment.

I'm currently rebooting the whole host. If I recall correctly we had once a Mangement Network error.

Well, the host reboot didn't solve this issue. The VM doens't start at all.

Any ideas what next?

Rgs, Juha

Hi

Just noticed that now after host reboot I can see that TEMP1 Datastore is full (0 bytes free space)
Another VM has taken 500GB (thick) space. Damn.

How to recover from this state

See attached
TEMP1-Datastore-ha-0-bytes-free-.pdf

Aha

The TEMP1 Datastore has thick store for anther VMs backups. See attached. I suppose I can delete the BU diks from the antoher VMs SBS 2011 std.

Then I should have plenty of space for other VMs.
TEMP1-Datastore-And-VM-Toivanen-.pdf

Can you remove some of the backups.  It says you have 120 copies.
Once you give Temp1 some space, VM should start up correctly.

Marco

Hi

The BU disk is Thick. Suppose it doen't help if I try to remove anything ftom there. The used space is 250GB.

Juha

The root level of Temp1 has a "Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise" file.
also a "Tukikomppania..." file.  Do you need that 8GB and 146GB vmdk files.  They don't appear to belong to any VM's

Marco

Ok

I disbled the Toivanen SBS 2011 BU and deleted the BU disk from Toivanen SBS 2011 DiskMangement and after that from Vmware. Now there is apx. 500GB free on TEMP1 Datastore. Right after I deleted the 500GB BU disk from VMware I tried to start to problematic VM. It didn't. I'dd shut down all Guests and now I'm rebooted the host. Lets see what happens.

Rgs, Juha

Ok

The problematic SBS 2011 doesn't start.

Any ideas. Perhas the original error message  was:

"Message on Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std: There
is no more space for virtual disk
/vmfs/volumes/4fc9dc43-0aea69d8-34e7-78acc0-
115eb2/Tukikomppania SBS2011
Backup/Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std2.vmdk. You
might be able to continue this session by freeing
disk space on the relevant volume, and clicking
Retry. Click Cancel to terminate this session.
info
29.12.2012 22:58:12
Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std
User"

The Os is installed to [Fast15k-146GB-SAS-RAID1] Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std/Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std2_1.vmdk

At Summary Screen I can see that the Capcity is 136.5GB and Free Spce is 31,72GB.

It were originally 135GB Thin Provisioned but I added more space by Editing Disk Provisioning to 150GB. Disk Provisioning says that the Maximum Sice would be 181,72GB. The physical disk should be 146GB.

I

If anything else I can try to move the problematic SBS 2011 Vm to antoher Datastore.

Marco mentioned Vmware Converter. Which exact version would be the best when I have ESXi 4.1.

See my EE Article for


HOW TO:  P2V, V2V for FREE - VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0

HOW TO: Improve the transfer rate of a Physical to Virtual (P2V), Virtual to Virtual Conversion (V2V) using VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0

v4.3 or v5.0 will suffice.

Thanks hanccocka.

I have Convert 5.0 allready donwloaded. Stupid question: Local Installation or  Client-Server Installation.

I have allready vSphere 4.1 Client installed on my laptopbut the VM Host is located in a Server Hotel elsewere.

Rgs, Juha

BTW, it is 10:25 pm now and I can see Fireworks from my Window.

Local Always is Best Practice and Recommended.

Ok

Tried the converter but it "hangs" to state 1% and after one hour I got a error masseage:

"Error: Unable to clone disk [Fast15k-146GB-SAS-RAID1] Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std/Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std2_1.vmdk on the virtual machine 'Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std'"

This is the disk containing the SBS 2011 OS.

Please see attached Logs (of convertion).

Any ideas? The whole Datastore corrupted now?
Logs.zip

when does this error

"Error: Unable to clone disk [Fast15k-146GB-SAS-RAID1] Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std/Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std2_1.vmdk on the virtual machine 'Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std'"

occur?

because this is outside of the VM?

at 1% it's not even cloning, it's trying to create a new VM.

OKay, looking back at the original question, the issue you have is a snapshot has filled up the datastore.

1. do you have another datastore, you can clone the VM to?

2. can you free more space on the datastore, by moving VMs off?

Hi there

Conversion: The error occures when I have started from my laptop at home the conversion tool 4.3 and the target is the ESXi 4.1 which is physically locate in another city. I use Stnadalone Converter 4.3 which is installed on my laptop.

The original question is why my VM doesn't start. The reason is not 100% sure. When I first check the I saw this:

"Message on Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std: There
is no more space for virtual disk
/vmfs/volumes/4fc9dc43-0aea69d8-34e7-78acc0-
115eb2/Tukikomppania SBS2011
Backup/Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std2.vmdk. You
might be able to continue this session by freeing
disk space on the relevant volume, and clicking
Retry. Click Cancel to terminate this session.
info
29.12.2012 22:58:12
Tukikomppania SBS2011 Std
User"

The disk wasn't full according Graphical view. Also The disk (Temp1) mentioned above is for BUs. I has 1TB space. How ever at one point I saw 0 bytes free on that Datastore (Temp1)  I saw there Thick-provisioned 500GB BU disk which I removed. Now there is plenty of room again.

There were only VM which had snapshots but they were on a different Datastore. I'd removed them anyways.


1. I have four datastores in this ESXi. Two of those are iSCSI drives (NAS-devices) and the rest are internal drives.
2. I have enough space to "copy" the system disk to internal drive and the other disk (Temp1) can be copied to iSCSI targets.

Any suggestions?

It is always recommended to install Converter on the VM to be converted.

The error message, looks like a snapshot issue?

is your VM running on a snapshot disk?

Any chance to post an update screenshot of the datastores and folders.  Something has to be using up the space on the datastores.

Hi

"It is always recommended to install Converter on the VM to be converted."
Don't get this. The VM which I'm trying to convert doesn't start at all. Should I install the converter to a  VM which is installed to same host as the problematic VM resides?

"is your VM running on a snapshot disk?"
How to check it? PrintScreen of all Datastores attached.
 
Here are PrintScreens of all datasores, folders and files as they are right now.

In the end of the document is one older PrintScreen: When the problem started one of the iSCSI Datstores weren't visible (noticed it later on).

1. Could this be iSCSI related?
2. FYI. I found a Snapshot from another Datastore which shouldn't be involved. See attached.

How to carry on?
All-DataStores-Folder-Files-Prin.pdf

unregistered and register guest-OS give a try ?

if you cannot start the VM, conversion of VM may not be possible.

check your VM settings, check the disk settings, if it's in "snapshot mode" the disk will be as per my EE Article, or screenshot disk settings and upoad here.

1. Could this be iSCSI, related - maybe, maybe not.

Hi

The problem is now solved. My colleague only removed the BU-disk from VM's settings and after that the VM booted up.

The problem started beacause the Datastore where the BU-disk resided was full.

Thanks,

Juha

Friendly reminder to assign points to everyone who was able to help.

Thanks for helping with this. During the investigation I learned VMware little bit more. We need to check disk provisioning strategy in order not to face this kind of problem again.<br /><br />Desiden also to check other host if there are snapshots which we would probably delete.