Datastore cannot enter into maintenance mode due to a virtual machine template on it

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

The customer wants to put one datastore into maintenance mode, but the task failed.

Environment

VMware vSphere 7.x

VMware vSphere 8.x

VMware VCF 9.x

Cause

A virtual machine template is on this datastore that prevents the datastore from entering the maintenance mode.

Resolution

Since VM Templates cannot be storage vMotioned, the following two options are available:

• Convert the template to a virtual machine and storage vMotion it, once completed you can convert it back to a template if needed
• If the above step failed or no longer need the template registered, remove the template from inventory (Do NOT remove it  from disk)