Removing ISO from vCenter VM in vSphere UI causes vCenter to become unresponsive

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• After patching or upgrading vCenter Server, the CD/DVD drive on the vCenter VM continues to show the ISO as connected in the vSphere Client.
• Attempting to disconnect the ISO or change the backing to "Client Device" causes the vCenter Server to become unresponsive (e.g., no response to pings or UI timeouts).
• Users may be disconnected from the vCenter UI and VAMI.

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 7.x
• VMware vCenter Server 8.x
• Photon OS (Guest Operating System)

Cause

The guest operating system (Photon OS) retains an exclusive lock on the CD/DVD ISO, preventing the hypervisor from safely ejecting it. Forcing the detachment via the vSphere Client causes a blocked operation while vCenter waits for the host's device disconnect query.

Resolution

To release or override the device lock use one of the following methods:

Method 1: Proactive Eject via Command Line.

1. Connect to the vCenter Server via SSH as root.
2. If prompted with the Command> prompt, type shell and press Enter.
3. Run the following command to release the guest OS lock: eject /dev/cdrom
4. Return to the vSphere Client and change the VM settings to revert the CD/DVD drive to Client Device.

Method 2: 

1. Log in directly to the ESXi host UI (https://<ESXi_IP_or_FQDN>/ui) where the vCenter VM is running.
2. Locate the vCenter VM, right-click, and select Edit Settings.
3. Change the CD/DVD drive connection to Client/Host Device.
4. When the lock warning appears, select Yes to override the lock and force the disconnection.
   
   Lock warning: "The guest operating system has locked the CD-ROM door and is probably using the CD-ROM which can prevent guest from recognizing media changes. If possible, eject CD-ROM from inside the guest before disconnecting.
Disconnect anyway and override the lock?"
   
   
   
   
5. Click Answer to confirm the change.
6. Verify that the vCenter Server resumes normal operation.

Additional Information

• Japanese language support KB for the issue "Deleting the vCenter virtual machine's ISO image from the vSphere UI causes vCenter to stop responding.": vSphere UIからvCenter仮想マシンのISOイメージを削除すると、vCenterが応答しなくなる
• To speak with a customer representative or a Support Engineer see Contact Support. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on your respective region.
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