vMotion failed with the error message 'Device bootstrap is unavailable'

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• vMotion failed with error message:
  
  A general system error occurred: Launch failure. The operation failed due to the virtual machine powering off. Device 'Bootstrap' is not available.
Cause: Device 'Bootstrap' is not available. The operation failed due to the virtual machine powering off.


• The below error message is also observed within the vSphere Client when attempting to cold-migrate the virtual machine or to power it on:
  
  
  
  
• In /var/run/log/hostd.log, the below errors are observed:
  
  

  sub=Vcsvc.VMotionSrc.#### opID=lro-####] ResolveCb: Failed with fault: (vim.fault.GenericVmConfigFault) {
  -->    faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
  -->       (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
  -->          key = "msg.vigor.operationCancelled",
  -->          message = "The operation was cancelled by the user.",
  -->       }
  -->    ],
  -->    reason = "The operation was cancelled by the user.",
  -->    msg = "The operation was cancelled by the user. "
  --> }

  
  
  
• In virtual machine's vmware.log file, below error message can be seen:
  
  vmx - [msg.configdb.open] An error occurred while opening configuration file "/vmfs/volumes/####.vmx": Could not find the file.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

Virtual machine .vmx configuration file is Orphaned or Inaccessible.

Resolution

Orphaned or inaccessible virtual machines can often be recovered by recreating their .vmx configuration file, provided the .vmdk files and any associated snapshot chain are uncorrupted.

Refer Recreating a lost or deleted vmx file