Migrating a powered off virtual machine across hosts in different datacenters fails with the error: A specified parameter was not correct. host

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Migrating a powered off virtual machine across hosts in different datacenters fails
• You see the error:
  
  A specified parameter was not correct. <host_identifier>
  
  
• The vCenter Server vpxd.log located at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\Logs contains entries similar to:
  
  [2010-03-16 18:20:58.495 05392 info 'App' opID=386B2B6D-00001160] [VpxLRO] -- BEGIN task-46083 -- vm-11767 -- vim.VirtualMachine.relocate -- E2653897-1B18-49FE-8F35-604F0ABF10B0(3C9FEE5B-0BE3-42F6-9AEF-5168CB9E9C6D)
  [2010-03-16 18:20:58.495 03128 verbose 'PropertyProvider' opID=386B2B6D-00001160] RecordOp ASSIGN: disabledMethod, vm-11767
  [2010-03-16 18:20:58.511 05392 verbose 'App' opID=386B2B6D-00001160] [migrate] (vdi-autoit) Validating RelocateSpec
  [2010-03-16 18:20:58.511 05392 error 'App' opID=386B2B6D-00001160] [VpxdVmprov] Host /vpx/host/#11616/ does not have access to datastore datastore_name
  
  Note: In Windows 2008, the vpxd.log is located at C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\Logs.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x

Resolution

The migration process on vCenter Server is performing a test to see if both the source and destination hosts share the same datastore when it is not required.

This is fixed in vCenter 4.1 U2 and vCenter 5.0

To workaround this issue, perform one of these options:

• When performing the migration task, choose to move both host and datastore.
• Clone the virtual machine across to a new datastore on the destination host. For more information, see the vSphere Basic System Administration Guide.
• Disconnect either the destination host or the source host and drag the disconnected host into the other datacenter.
  
  Notes:
• • Do not perform the last workaround if the host is part of a VMware View, VMware Lab Manager or an EVC cluster.
  • Moving a host with the virtual machine in a resource pool outside the cluster deletes the resource pools.