Troubleshooting Unable to Upload Files to Datastore in vSphere

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Users may encounter issues when attempting to upload files to a datastore in vSphere environments. This article outlines common causes and resolutions for upload failures, including certificate trust issues, permission problems, and specific privilege requirements.

Environment

- VMware vSphere 7.0 and later

Cause

Upload failures to datastores can occur due to several reasons:
1. Workstation does not trust the vCenter root certificate
2. Attempting to upload to a directory without proper permissions, often to a datastore root directory, or a vSAN directory
3. Insufficient user permissions on vCenter objects
4. Missing specific permissions required for datastore uploads

Resolution

Follow these steps to troubleshoot and resolve datastore upload issues:

1. Verify Certificate Trust:
   a. In a web browser, navigate to the base URL of your vCenter Server (e.g., https://vcenter.domain.com/).
   b. Click the "Download trusted root CA certificates" link at the bottom of the page.
   c. Install the downloaded certificates on your workstation.
   For detailed instructions, refer to Error: "The operation failed for an undetermined reason" transferring files through vSphere Client

2. Check Upload Directory Permissions:
   a. Ensure you are not attempting to upload files to the root of a datastore.
   b. Create a subfolder within the datastore and attempt to upload files there.
   For more information on vSAN datastore limitations, see Unable to upload, copy, or create files in a VMware vSAN-backed datastore

3. Verify vCenter Object Permissions:
   a. Log in to vSphere Client as an administrator.
   b. Navigate to the user or group attempting the upload.
   c. Review their assigned roles and permissions, ensuring they have access to:
      - The datastore
      - The host(s) mounting the datastore
      - The datacenter containing the host and datastore
   d. Examine the destination object in the vSphere inventory:
      i. Right-click the object (datastore, host, or folder) and select "Edit Permissions."
      ii. Review all permissions assigned to the object, including those inherited from parent objects.
      iii. Look for any conflicting permissions, especially those that might restrict access.
   e. Check for conflicting group memberships:
      i. Verify if the user belongs to multiple groups with different permissions on the same object.
      ii. If conflicts exist, consider creating a new group with the required permissions and adding the user to this group only.
   f. Ensure that there are no explicit "Deny" permissions overriding "Allow" permissions for the user or their groups.

4. Confirm Specific Upload Permissions:
   Ensure the user or group has the following privileges:
   a. Datastore.Browse datastore
   b. Datastore.Low level file operations
   c. Host.Configuration.System Management

   To assign these permissions:
   a. Log in to vSphere Client as an administrator.
   b. Go to Administration > Access Control > Roles.
   c. Edit the role assigned to the user or create a new role.
   d. Add the required privileges listed above.
   e. Assign the role to the user or group at the appropriate level (datastore, host, or datacenter).

5. Check Log Files:
   If issues persist, analyze the vCenter Server log files:
   a. Access the applmgmt-audit.log file:
      - SSH into the vCenter Server Appliance
      - Navigate to: /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/
      - Open applmgmt-audit.log
   b. Search for entries related to the user experiencing issues.
   c. Look for "Authorization request" and "Authorization Result" entries.
   d. Identify any denied privileges and adjust permissions accordingly.

Certainly! I'll update step 5 of the Resolution section to refer to your KB article. Here's the revised step 5:

5. Check Log Files:
   If issues persist, analyze the vCenter Server log files to diagnose permission issues:
   See Diagnosing Account Permission Issues in vCenter Server Using Log Analysis
   
If issues persist after following these troubleshooting steps, or if you need assistance with any part of this process, please open a case with VMware Support

Additional Information

- In some cases, the Serenity database may become corrupt. Resetting it can resolve certain upload issues.
  Refer to the steps in Error: "The operation failed for an undetermined reason" transferring files through vSphere Client for this process.
- If using an older 32-bit browser, or an old operating system, be aware of potential file size upload limitations.
- Related to vSAN directory permissions, see PowerCLI cmdlet Copy-DatastoreItem does not function as expected to vSAN datastore