Note: Please work with 3rd party products Backup vendor to fix their code to cleanly handle enable/disable methods API.
Caution: This procedure modifies the database. Ensure to take a full backup of the existing database before proceeding with any of these options. Involve a Database Administrator if there is any difficulty with these steps.
To work around this issue, use one of these options:
- Schedule another backup
- Manually remove entries from the vCenter Server database
- Manually remove entries from the vCenter Server Appliance vPostgres database
- Remove and re-add the virtual machine from the inventory
- Remove and re-add the ESXi/ESX hosting the virtual machine from the inventory
Schedule another backup
Schedule another backup of the affected virtual machine. If this completes successfully, the entries should be removed from the vCenter Server database and this allows a Storage vMotion of the virtual machine.
Manually remove entries from the vCenter Server SQL database
To manually remove the entries from the vCenter Server database:
Caution: This procedure modifies the database. Ensure to take a full backup of the existing database before proceeding with this workaround. Involve a Database Administrator if there is any difficulty with these steps.
- Stop the vCenter Server services.
- Take a backup of the vCenter Server database.
- Run thisSQL statement against the vCenter Server database:
select * from VPX_VM WHERE FILE_NAME LIKE '%Virtual-Machine-Name%'
where Virtual-Machine-Name
is the name of the virtual machine. Leave the percentage (%) signs flanking the name.
- Make a note of the
vm-ID_Number
value returned by the SQL statement in step 3, as this will be required in the SQL statement in steps 5 and 6.
- To confirm the stale entry, run this SQL statement against the vCenter Server database:
select * from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4'
- To remove the stale entry, run this SQL statement against the vCenter Server database:
delete from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4'
- Start the vCenter Server services, then retry the Storage vMotion. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter Server Appliance services (315393).
Manually remove entries from the vCenter Server and vCenter Server Appliance vPostgres database
Caution: This procedure modifies the database. Ensure to take a snapshot and/or full backup of the vCenter before proceeding with this workaround.
To manually remove the entries from the vCenter Server Appliance vPostgres database for vCenter Server Appliance 5.0 Update 1, 5.1, 5.5, 6.0, and 6.5:
- Connect to the vCenter Server Appliance using SSH. For more information, see Enable or Disable SSH Administrator Login on the VMware vCenter Server Appliance section in the vCenter Server and Host Management Guide.
- Stop the VMware VirtualCenter Server service using this command:
service vmware-vpxd stop
- Ensure a full backup of the vCenter has been completed.
- Run this command against the vCenter Server database.
sudo /opt/vmware/vpostgres/1.0/bin/psql -d VCDB vc -c "select * from VPX_VM WHERE FILE_NAME LIKE '%Virtual-Machine-Name%';"
where Virtual-Machine-Name
is the name of the virtual machine. Leave the percentage (%) signs flanking the name.
- Make a note of the numerical ID value returned by the SQL statement in step 4, as this will be required in the SQL statement in steps 6 and 7.
- To confirm the stale entry, run this command against the vCenter Server database:
sudo /opt/vmware/vpostgres/1.0/bin/psql -d VCDB vc -c "select * from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4';"
- To remove the stale entry, run this command against the vCenter Server database:
sudo /opt/vmware/vpostgres/1.0/bin/psql -d VCDB vc -c "delete from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4';"
- Start the VMware VirtualCenter Server service, then retry the Storage vMotion. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter Server Appliance services (315393).
Windows installed vCenter Server with Postgres database
- Stop the vCenter Server services.
- Connect to the Postgres database. For more information, see Connecting to the embedded vPostgres Database in a Windows installed vCenter Server 6.0 (340937).
- Run this command against the vCenter Server database.
select * from VPX_VM WHERE FILE_NAME LIKE '%Virtual-Machine-Name%';
where Virtual-Machine-Name
is the name of the virtual machine. Leave the percentage (%) signs flanking the name.
- Make a note of the numerical ID value returned by the SQL statement in step 4, as this will be required in the SQL statement in steps 6 and 7.
- To confirm the stale entry, run this command against the vCenter Server database:
select * from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4';
- To remove the stale entry, run this command against the vCenter Server database:
delete from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4';
- Start the VMware VirtualCenter Server service, then retry the Storage vMotion. F
Remove and re-add the virtual machine from the inventory
To remove and re-add the virtual machine from the inventory:
Caution: Removing a virtual machine from inventory removes any performance statistics and historical data associated with the virtual machine. This process should only be used if the preceding procedures are unsuccessful or if any historical or performance data for a defined virtual machine.
- Power off the virtual machine.
- In vSphere Client, right-click the virtual machine and click Remove from Inventory.
- Browse to the datastore where the virtual machine resides.
- Right-click the .vmx file of the virtual machine and click Add to Inventory.
Note: This gives the virtual machine a new ID.
- Power on the virtual machine and retry the Storage vMotion.
Remove and re-add the ESX/ESXi from the inventory
Caution: Removing an ESX/ESXi host from inventory removes any performance statistics and historical data associated with the host. This process should only be used if the preceding procedures are unsuccessful or if no historical or performance data for the defined ESX/ESXi host needs to be retained.
- In the vSphere Client, right-click the ESXi/ESX host and click Disconnect.
- Right-click the disconnected ESXi/ESX host and click Remove from Inventory.
- After the host is removed from inventory, right-click the cluster and click Add Host.
- Provide the IP address or hostname of the ESXi/ESX host and the root username and password.