vCenter Server: EXT4-fs error reading directory lblock while booting due to 0GB VMDK capacity

Products

• VMware vCenter Server 7.0
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Issue/Introduction

 

• vCenter Server can not ping.
  
  
• After reboot vCenter Server the file system can not start successfully with error messages in console:
  
  [#######.######] EXT4-fs error (device dm-0): _ext4_find_entry:####: inode #### ###: comm systemd: reading directory lblock 0
[#######.######] EXT4-fs error (device dm-0): _ext4_find_entry:####: inode ####  ##: comm kworker/u128:0: reading directory lblock 0 
[#######.######] Read-error on swap-device (###:#:########)
  
  (or)
  
  

  [#######.######] EXT4-fs error (device dm-0): _ext4_get_inode_loc_noinmem : ####: inode #######: block #######: comm kworker/u128:1: unable to read itable block

  
  
  
• The vCenter Server will not enter emergency mode.

 

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.0
VMware vCenter Server 8.0

 

Cause

The vmdk of vCenter Server virtual machine showed the capacity 0GB. 
This will cause the file system of Photon OS can not properly read and write data.

 

Resolution

Further checking the datastore where the vCenter Server virtual machine stored also showed the capacity is 0GB:

1. Need to check the underlying storage issue behind the datastore with the KB Troubleshooting storage issues when using VMware products
2. After fix storage issue, power cycle the vCenter Server virtual machine.