Converting a snapshot file to memory dump using the vmss2core tool when snapshot file in vSAN

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• vmem file only 1.4MB.
• Running the vmss2core tool fails.
• In the command prompt of the user desktop, you see the error:

     

Cause

Because the vmem file exists only as an identifier file in a vSAN environment, and it's contents point to real data to an object in the vSAN. Hence, the sizes of the files downloaded are not the actual data size.

Resolution

1. Login to the vCenter, go to vSAN Datastore and find the Virtual Machine directory.  
2. Select the vmem and vmsn files and copy them to either VMFS or NFS Datastores.
3. Confirm their sizes from the VMFS/NFS Datastores (if the files are restored to VM memory size, download them again).
4. Then follow KB323788 to convert them to memory dump file.