Cloning a virtual machine fails with the error: A general system error occurred: PBM error occurred during PreCloneCheckCallback
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Cloning a virtual machine fails with the error: A general system error occurred: PBM error occurred during PreCloneCheckCallback

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Article ID: 313057

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

  • Cloning a virtual machine or deploying a virtual machine from a template fails with the error:

    A general system error occurred: PBM error occurred during PreCloneCheckCallback: vmodl.fault.systemerror
  • In the C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\logs\vmware-vpx\vpxd.log file, you see entries similar to:
     
    Note: In vCenter Server Appliance, this log is located at /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log file.
     
    <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time> warning vpxd[7F22254CB700] [Originator@6876 sub=Default] Failed to connect socket; <io_obj '0.0.0.0:0' <tcp h:21, p:0x00007f223e0fff00,>, <TCP '127.0.0.1:8190'>>, e: system:111(Connection refused) </io_obj></time>
    <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time> warning vpxd[7F222503A700] [Originator@6876 sub=Default] Failed to connect socket; <io_obj '0.0.0.0:0' <tcp h:21, p:0x00007f223f354be0,>, <TCP '10.27.45.75:8190'>>, e: system:111(Connection refused)</io_obj></time>
    <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time> error vpxd[7F222503A700] [Originator@6876 sub=HttpConnectionPool-000057] [ConnectComplete] Connect failed to <cs p:00007f221d44ffa0, TCP:localhost:8190>; cnx: (null), error: N7Vmacore15SystemExceptionE(Connection refused)</time>
    <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time> info vpxd[7F2224BD8700] [Originator@6876 sub=pbm opID=########-######5A-e1-5] PBMCallback: HasUserDefinedPolicies: PBM error occurred during QueryProfile: Connection refused</time>
    <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time> info vpxd[7F2224BD8700] [Originator@6876 sub=pbm opID=########-######5A-e1-5] PBMCallback: ~PbmFunctionTracer: Leaving HasUserDefinedPolicies</time>
    <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time> error vpxd[7F2224BD8700] [Originator@6876 sub=pbm opID=########-######5A-e1-5] PBMCallback: HandleInternalFaultMessage: PBM error occurred during PreCloneCheckCallback: vmodl.fault.SystemError</time>
    <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time> info vpxd[7F2224BD8700] [Originator@6876 sub=pbm opID=########-######5A-e1-5] PBMCallback: ~PbmFunctionTracer: Leaving PreCloneCheckCallback</time>
    <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time> error vpxd[7F2224BD8700] [Originator@6876 sub=VmProv opID=########-######5A-e1-5] [CallbackManager] Got exception while invoking precheck on PbmCallBack: vmodl.fault.SystemError</time>
    -->
    --> [backtrace begin] product: VMware VirtualCenter, version: 6.0.0, build: build-2559267, tag: vpxd
    --> backtrace[00] libvmacore.so[0x003C0094]: Vmacore::System::Stacktrace::CaptureWork(unsigned int)
    --> backtrace[01] libvmacore.so[0x001EDBA3]: Vmacore::System::SystemFactoryImpl::CreateQuickBacktrace(Vmacore::Ref<Vmacore::System::Backtrace>&)
    --> backtrace[02] libvmacore.so[0x001988AD]: Vmacore::Throwable::Throwable(std::string const&)
    --> backtrace[03] vpxd[0x00BD070E]: Vmomi::Fault::SystemError::Exception::Exception(std::string const&)
    --> backtrace[04] vpxd[0x01799FAA]: PbmService::HandleInternalFaultMessage(Vmacore::Exception*, std::string const&, Vpx::Vmprov::Context*) const
    --> backtrace[05] vpxd[0x01792D63]
    --> backtrace[06] vpxd[0x01CDD99B]
    --> backtrace[07] vpxd[0x01D47F16]
    --> backtrace[08] vpxd[0x01D5E00D]

    Note: The preceding log excerpts are only examples. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment.



Environment

VMware vCenter Server 6.x
VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x

Cause

This error occurs when the Profile-Driven Storage service is not running or is not accepting connections.

Note: This service is also called Policy Based Management(PBM).

Resolution

To resolve the issue, ensure that the Profile-Driven Storage service is running.

For vCenter Server Appliance:

  1.  SSH to the VCSA using PuTTY or similar SSH client.
  2. Enter the shell of the vCSA. (If the prompt shows command> that is the appliance shell. The below commands cannot be ran in appliance shell.)
  3.  Run this command to check the status of the service:

    service vmware-sps status
     
  4. Run this command to start the vmware-sps service:

    service vmware-sps start
     
  5. Run this command to restart the vmware-sps service:

    service vmware-sps restart
Note: For more information on starting or restarting a vCenter Server Appliance 6.x service, see Stopping, starting, or restarting VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.x services (2109887).

For vCenter Server:
 
  1. Log in as an administrator to the server that is running vCenter Server.
  2. Click Start > Run, type services.msc and Click Ok.
  3. From the list of services, check the status of the Profile-Driven Storage service.
Alternatively:
  1. Open command prompt as administrator
  2. Change directories (replace letter C with the appropriate letter driver)

cd C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\bin

  1. Run this command to check the status of the service:

    service-control --status vmware-sps
     
  2. Run this command to start the vmware-sps service:

    service-control --start vmware-sps
     
  3. Run this command to restart the vmware-sps service:

    service-control --stop vmware-sps;service-control --start vmware-sps


Additional Information