When performing a Linux V2V conversion you receive the error: Unable to query live Linux source machine

Products

• Converter

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Converter Standalone stops responding for 10 minutes while displaying Retrieving source machine information.
• Converter Standalone displays this error message when you click Next on the Specify Source page:
  
  Unable to query the live Linux source machine
   
• In the Converter GUI log file, you see an entry similar to:
  
  error 'wizardController'] Cannot query source HW info: converter.fault.SysinfoQueryLinuxFault
   
• In the Converter worker log file, you see an entry similar to:
  
  Sysinfo Query failed with error Error executing ssh client for SysinfoQuery: Command not found or is not executable: C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone\plink.exe
   
• In the Converter agent log file, you see an entry similar to:
  
  Sysinfo Query failed with error [Converter Agent SysinfoQuery] execution of vmware-sysinfo failed; return code: 126; result: bash: ./vmware-sysinfo-lin32.sh: /bin/sh: bad interpreter: Permission denied

Environment

VMware vCenter Converter 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.3.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Converter 4.2.x
VMware vCenter Converter 4.1.x

VMware vCenter Converter 6.x

Resolution

You must perform both troubleshooting steps listed below. Each step provides instructions or a link to a document, in order to eliminate possible causes and take corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution.

Notes:

• Ensure that UAC is disabled on the system so plink.exe may be executed correctly.

• When running VMware vCenter Converter right-click the program and select Run as Administrator.

If you perform a corrective action in any of these steps, attempt converting the Linux source operating system again.

1. Verify that the Linux source operating system is accepting the ssh traffic and that the user name and password used in Converter are correct and result in a functional shell prompt.

   1. Linux source operating system:

      1. Open a shell prompt.

      2. Type ssh localhost and press Enter.

      3. Log in using the same user name and password used in the Conversion wizard.
         
         If this does not result in a successful login, correct the problem.
         
         Note : For more information on opening a shell prompt, see Opening a command or shell prompt (1003892) .

   2. Converter:

      1. Open a command prompt.

      2. Run this command:
         
         telnet xxxx nn
         
         where xxxx is replaced by the host name or IP address of the Linux source operating system and nn is replaced by the port being used for SSH.
         
         If this does not result in information being displayed, a firewall might be preventing the computer running Converter Standalone from connecting to the Linux source operating system. Correct this problem.

2. Confirm that the .bashrc file of the user name used for authentication does not contain an echo command.
   
   If authenticating as root, use a text editor to edit /root/.bashrc. If authenticating as a different user, use a text editor to edit /home/user name/.bashrc, where user name is replaced by the user name being used for authentication.
   
   If a line in the file begins with echo, either delete it or change it to #echo.

3. Deploy the 'sysinfo' utility in a directory that is different from /tmp.

   1. Take a backup of the converter-worker.xml file. By default, this file is located in "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone"

   2. Open the converter-worker.xml file using a text editor.

   3. Locate the tag pair <sysinfoTmpRoot></sysinfoTmpRoot>. It is located inside the <converter_agent> tag. It is commented out by default and has a value of '/root'.

   4. Uncomment the tag and either leave its value or change it to some directory of your choice that allows running executable files in it.

   5. Save and close the file.

   6. Restart the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone Worker service on the machine.

4. Ensure that user is able to log in to the linux shell, verify that the user is assigned with /bin/bash instead of /sbin/nologin in the /etc/passwd file.
   
   For example:
   
   root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash

Additional Information

Converter Standalone uses the SFTP protocol to copy files on the source Linux system, and SFTP fails in this attempt if there is an echo statement in the .bashrc file. This behavior can be reproduced using any standard SFTP client.

P2V conversion of a Linux virtual machine fails with the error: mkdir: cannot create directory