"VMware Tools script did not run successfully" error while performing power operations on the RHEL VM with open-vm-tools using the vCenter Server menu.

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Guest OS shutdown task is failing from the vCenter Server with the error : "The request to Power off this virtual machine failed because the corresponding VMware Tools script did not run successfully. If you have configured a custom power-off script in this virtual machine, make sure that it contains no errors."

Environment

vCenter Server 7.x
vCenter Server 8.x
Open-vm-tools 12.3.5

Cause

The scripts in the /etc/vmware-tools directory are in following the naming convention <power-operation>-vm-default.old.0 and the files are not executable.

The <power-operation>-vm-default file is used to perform the power operations on the VM using open-vm-tools, the script searches for the file name with the format <power-operation>-vm-default for execution and changing the power state ( Powered on, Powered off, Suspend, Resume)

Since the file name is in the format, the following error is received in the log file /var/log/vmware-vmsvc-root.log on the VM: 

[powerops] [1153] Executing script: '/etc/vmware-tools/poweroff-vm-default'
[powerops] [1153] Error starting script: Failed to execute child process "/etc/vmware-tools/poweroff-vm-default" (No such file or directory)
[1153] VixTools_ProcessVixCommand: command 62
[1153] ToolsDaemonTcloReceiveVixCommand: command 62, additionalError = 17
[1153] Executing script for state change 'OS_Halt'
[1153] Executing script: '/etc/vmware-tools/poweroff-vm-default'
[1153] Error starting script: Failed to execute child process "/etc/vmware-tools/poweroff-vm-default" (No such file or directory)
[1153] Initiating halt

After changing the file name, the file needs to be made executable, if not, the following error will be encountered  in the log file /var/log/vmware-vmsvc-root.log : 

[1157] Executing script for state change 'OS_Halt'.
[1157] Executing script: '/etc/vmware-tools/poweroff-vm-default'
[1157] Error starting script: Failed to execute child process "/etc/vmware-tools/poweroff-vm-default" (Permission denied)
[1157] Executing script for state change 'OS_Halt'.
[1157] Executing script: '/etc/vmware-tools/poweroff-vm-default'
[1157] Script exit code: 1, success = 0
[1157] Initiating halt.

Resolution

Note : Please take snapshot of the VM prior to making the changes.

• Change the file name from <power-operation>-vm-default.old.0 to <power-operation>-vm-default :

mv <power-operation>-vm-default.old.0 <power-operation>-vm-default

• Make the file executable using the command :

chmod 755 <power-operation>-vm-default

Additional Information

Please refer to the following KB article for information on Broadcom VCF support for open-vm-tools : VMware support for open-vm-tools