Converting a Linux virtual machine fails with the error: Volume group has insufficient free space

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Converting a Linux virtual machine with LVM volume fails with an error similar to:
  
  

Volume group "Volume2" has insufficient free space (3104 extents): 12800 required.

• Running the command on the source machine:

# vgs -o +vg_free_count,vg_extent_count | grep 'VSize\|Volume2'

You see entries similar to:

VGVolume2

YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [03844 verbose 'ConverterDataProviderImpl'] Converter::Client::Gui::Wizard::ConverterDataProviderImpl::PropertyCollectorThread[14] - (vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.UpdateSet) {</time>

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> version = "14",

--> filterSet = (vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.FilterUpdate) [

--> (vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.FilterUpdate) {

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> filter = 'vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.Filter:session[4e1a1cb4-7276-c1cf-a1c3-f6e374ba8857]521ed2d1-c6c3-92e7-f218-679ed2ead05a',

--> objectSet = (vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.ObjectUpdate) [

--> (vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.ObjectUpdate) {

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> kind = "modify",

--> obj = 'converter.task.Task:task-246',

--> changeSet = (vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.Change) [

--> (vmodl.query.PropertyCollector.Change) {

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> name = "event[7619]",

--> op = "add",

--> val = (converter.event.UnixP2VDiskPartitionFailedEvent) {

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> key = 7619,

--> chainId = 7611,

--> type = "error",

--> createdTime = "YYYY-MM-DDT<time>",</time>

--> userName = "domain\admin",

--> fullMessage = "Unable to partition the destination disks.",

--> job = <unset>,

--> reason = (converter.fault.CloneFault) {

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,

--> description = " Volume group "Volume2" has insufficient free space (3104 extents): 12800 required.

--> (return code 5)",

--> msg = "An error occurred during the conversion: ' Volume group "Volume2" has insufficient free space (3104 extents): 12800 required.

--> (return code 5)'",

• The vmware-converter-server.log shows entries similar to:

YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [04568 info 'Default'] [task,379] [task-246] -- ERROR -- Convert: converter.fault.CloneFault</time>

--> (converter.fault.CloneFault) {

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,

--> description = " Volume group "Volume2" has insufficient free space (3104 extents): 12800 required.

--> (return code 5)",

--> msg = "",

• The vmware-converter-worker.log shows entries similar to:

YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [02992 verbose 'task-2'] [ProcessEvent] Event (converter.event.UnixP2VDiskPartitionFailedEvent) {</time>

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> key = 1,

--> chainId = 1,

--> type = "error",

--> createdTime = "YYYY-MM-DDT<time>",</time>

--> userName = "",

--> fullMessage = <unset>,

--> job = <unset>,

--> reason = (converter.fault.CloneFault) {

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,

--> description = " Volume group "Volume2" has insufficient free space (3104 extents): 12800 required.

--> (return code 5)",

--> msg = "",

--> },

--> }

YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [02992 verbose 'PropertyProvider'] RecordOp ADD: event[6], task-2</time>

YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [02976 verbose 'task-2'] Converter Task GetEvent(taskID=task-2)</time>

YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [02976 verbose 'task-2'] Converter Task GetEvent(taskID=task-2)</time>

YYYY-MM-DDT<time> [04776 verbose 'task-1'] [ProcessEvent] Event (converter.event.UnixP2VDiskPartitionFailedEvent) {</time>

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> key = 6,

--> chainId = 2,

--> type = "error",

--> createdTime = "YYYY-MM-DDT<time>",</time>

--> userName = "",

--> fullMessage = <unset>,

--> job = <unset>,

--> reason = (converter.fault.CloneFault) {

--> dynamicType = <unset>,

--> faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,

--> description = " Volume group "Volume2" has insufficient free space (3104 extents): 12800 required.

--> (return code 5)",

--> msg = "",

Environment

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 5.5.x

Cause

This issue occurs when a whole volume group being converted exceeds 2TB. Partitions cannot exceed 2TB for MBR volumes.

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

Option 1: Shrink the logical volume or move some of the data to a new volume group so that the used space does not exceed 2TB.

Option 2:

1. Convert the machine without including the problem volume
2. Manually create a large LVM on the converted machine which spans a 2TB disk plus another disk.
3. Stop any I/O on the source machine, and then SCP the data from the source machine to the destination.