Unable to migrate a virtual machine to another host or cluster

Products

• VMware vCenter Server 7.0
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Issue/Introduction

Migrate option available on right clicking VM is greyed out.
Options like 'Snapshot' and 'Power-on' are greyed out as well.
Other VMs in vCenter inventory do not exhibit similar behavior.

Environment

vSphere vCenter 8.x
vSphere vCenter 7.x

Cause

These options/features are disabled for the VM as it may have been previously managed by Site Recovery Manager (SRM) and is recorded as such in the vCenter database. 

These disabled methods may remain associated to the VM and prevent further operations if the VM was not removed or removed incorrectly from a Protection Group of Site Recovery Manager it was once part of.

Resolution

Method-1:

Remove entries of disabled_methods on the VM from the vCenter database using the steps outlined in Migration option is greyed out or migration of VM fails because vMotion is disabled in vCenter.

Method-2:

Remove VM from vCenter inventory and re-add it.

Steps : 

1. 1. Right click on VM > 'Remove' from inventory'.
      
      
   2. Navigate to 'Datastore' on which VM is placed > Go to 'Files' tab > Select the VMX file in VM folder > click on 'Register VM' to add back to vCenter inventory.