Virtual machine imported from VMware Workstation, VMware converter or GSX Server fails to start after deleting a snapshot

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:
After deleting a snapshot of a virtual machine imported from VMware Workstation, GSX Server, or VMware Converter you experience these symptoms:

• The virtual machine fails to start
• Cannot boot the virtual machine
• When booting the virtual machine, you see reports indicating corrupt files or other file system issues
• Backups/Restores using the backup API may not work as expected
• You see the below error message in vmware.log when you try to increase the size disk
  
  vcpu-1| I120: Guest: toolbox-dnd: Version: build-1137270
  vcpu-1| I120: GuestRpc: Channel 2, conflict: guest application toolbox-dnd tried to register, but it is still registered on channel 5
  vmx| I120: TOOLS received request in VMX to set option 'synctime' -> '0'
  vmx| I120: VMXVmdb_SetCfgState: cfgReqPath=/vm/#_VMX/vmx/cfgState/req/#13/, remDevPath=/vm/#_VMX/vmx/vigor/setCfgStateReq/#40/in/
  vmx| I120: HotExtend: Extending scsi0:1 to 2411724800
  vmx| I120: Vix: [4584828 vigorCommands.c:992]: VigorHotPlugManagerExtendDiskCommandCallback. UNSUPPORTEDFEATURE: The virtual disk requires a feature not supported by this program.
  vmx| I120: Msg_Post: Error
  vmx| I120: [msg.disk.hotextend.Failed] Failed to extend disk scsi0:1.

Environment

VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable
VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware ESX Server 3.5.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1
VMware ESX 4.1.x
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable

Cause

This issue can be caused by VMDK files that have been imported from VMware Workstation or VMware GSX server.

In this case, you may experience one of these conditions:

• You see a single VMDK file, but no corresponding descriptor or flat file
• There is a descriptor file which contains one of these createType entries:
  
  
  • createType="monolithicFlat"
  • createType="monolithicSparse"

Resolution

To resolve this issue, you must convert the VMDK disk from a monolithic type to a VMFS type. This can be done by cloning the disk using the vmkfstools -i command.

For example:

# vmkfstools -i /vmfs/volumes/Datastore1/TestVM/TestVM.vmdk /vmfs/volumes/Datastore1/TestVM/TestVMDisk.vmdk

Where TestVMDisk.vmdk is the cloned disk.

The cloned disk can now be added to the virtual machine and the virtual machine should now power on successfully.