Clone Operations Failing with Permission Denied Error in vCenter

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• Clone operations in vCenter fail with a "Permission denied" error for telemetry files, even when using administrator credentials.
• Operations requiring Storage DRS recommendations
• Clone operations fail
• Error message: "Permission denied for file : /storage/vpxd/telemetry"
• VPXD service stops writing logs
• Issue persists across administrator accounts

Environment

VMware vCenter Server

Cause

Extended uptime may cause residual system state inconsistencies, affecting VPXD service logging and Storage DRS functionality. Since regular reboots do not always fully reset the service state, permission-related errors can persist.

• VPXD service logging failures
• Permission-related errors
• Storage DRS operation failures

Resolution

1. Perform a cold boot of vCenter Server:
   1. Power off the vCenter Server completely, as a regular reboot does not clear all system states
   2. Wait 30 seconds to ensure memory and temporary states are cleared
   3. Power on the vCenter Server
      
      
2. Verify resolution:
   1. SSH into vCenter
   2. Run cat /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log |tail -n 5
   3. Confirm VPXD is actively logging new entries
   4. Re-try the clone operation
      
      
3. Implement preventive measures:
   1. Schedule updates every 90-120 days to prevent prolonged uptime issues as well as to provide bug and security vulnerability fixes
   2. Perform a complete power cycle before updates or upgrades to refresh the system state
   3. Monitor vpxd.log for early signs of logging failures

Additional Information

• A regular reboot may not fully reset system state, as some cached data persists through the restart process.
• A cold boot ensures complete memory and cache clearance, restoring normal service operation.
• Early indicators of this issue include VPXD log failures (vpxd.log not updating) and Storage DRS recommendation failures.