Registering VM stored on Shared VVol Datastore fails with error 'Unable to access the virtual machine configuration: Invalid datastore path 'ds:///vmfs/volumes/vvol:**********/**********/**********/test.vmx'.

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Attempting to register virtual machines, which were previously registered to a different vCenter, to a newly created vCenter fails with following error.
  
  'Unable to access the virtual machine configuration: Invalid datastore path 'ds:///vmfs/volumes/vvol:**********/**********/**********/test.vmx'

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7. X
VMware vSphere ESXi 8. X

VMware vCenter Server 7.0.X
VMware vCenter Server 8.0.X

Cause

• This is expected behavior when the Protocol Endpoints (PEs) are not configured on the Destination ESXi host. 
• The host will not receive the VASA provider information unless the Protocol Endpoint LUN is properly mapped and the datastore is properly mounted.

• The same VVol is shared between two vCenter Servers.

Example :

• VM register works fine on the source host where Protocol Endpoints (PEs) are configured and the vvol datastore is shared between two vCenter.

• VM register fails with the following error fine on the destination host where Protocol Endpoints (PEs) are not configured and the vvol datastore is shared between two vCenter.
  Error: 'Unable to access the virtual machine configuration: Invalid datastore path 'ds:///vmfs/volumes/vvol:**********/**********/**********/test.vmx'

Resolution

• Ensure that the Protocol Endpoint and vVOL Datastore are properly mapped to the hosts from the SAN configuration. 
• If using self-signed certificates, verify that Host Certificate settings are correct: 

         ESXi 7.X and later host newly added to vCenter is unable to access vVOl datastore

• Ensure the TCP port of the vasa provider is not being blocked by a firewall. See:
  
  VASA Provider Registration Troubleshooting