VM Datastore Migration Fails Due to Unsupported IOFilter Configuration

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• When migrating a VM to a different datastore in vCenter Server, the process fails with following error:

Error Message: The operation is not supported on the object. Changing or applying VM Storage Policies with Data Service capabilities during migrate operations is disallowed. VM Storage Policies with Data Service capabilities can be assigned to the provisioned VM after the migrate operation has been completed and before the VM has been powered on.


• /var/log/vmware/vpxd.log Output:

error vpxd[50941] 
[Originator@6876 sub=VpxLRO opID=27b7a800-634619b9-auto-4yxu4-h5-70793086-95-01] 
Empty or default profile spec is specified for the disk 2000

error vpxd[50941] 
[Originator@6876 sub=Default opID=27b7a800-634619b9-auto-4yxu4-h5-70793086-95-01] 
Get exception while executing action vpx.VMProv.InvokePrechecks: vmodl.fault.NotSupported

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

This issue is due to a third-party IO filter enabled on the virtual machine, which functions like a flash driver.

Resolution

Please take note of the VM MoID (navigate to VMs and Templates > select the virtual machine > check the browser's address bar for the MoID), and review the attached IO filter information for the disk using the MOB page

https://<VCIP or name>/mob/?moid=vm-xxxxxx&doPath=config.hardware

We found an IOFilter named "IBM_bootbank_ibmrbr_3.3.9-10OEM.700.1.0.15843807" assigned to the disk, which is used for replication.

- Hash out the following parameters: ddb.sidecars and ddb.iofilter from the descriptor and the snapshot descriptor files for the affected vmdk.

Sample  VMDK:

# Disk DescriptorFile
version=5
encoding="UTF-8"
CID=3018dd88
parentCID=ffffffff
isNativeSnapshot="no"
createType="vmfs"

# Extent description
RW 209715200 VMFS "VMNAME-XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX-flat.vmdk"

# Change Tracking File
changeTrackPath="VMNAME-XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX-ctk.vmdk"

# The Disk Data Base
#DDB

ddb.adapterType = "lsilogic"
ddb.deletable = "true"
ddb.encoding = "UTF-8"
ddb.geometry.biosCylinders = "13054"
ddb.geometry.biosHeads = "255"
ddb.geometry.biosSectors = "63"
ddb.geometry.cylinders = "13054"
ddb.geometry.heads = "255"
ddb.geometry.sectors = "63"
#ddb.iofilters = "IBM_bootbank_ibmrbr_3.3.9-10OEM.700.1.0.15843807"
ddb.longContentID = "96799446337cbb3c59a5c7ab3018dd88"
#ddb.sidecars = "ibm,VMNAME-########-####-####-####-############-################.vmfd"
ddb.toolsInstallType = "2"
ddb.toolsVersion = "10282"
ddb.uuid = "########-####-####-####"
ddb.virtualHWVersion = "11"

To apply the changes, consider unregistering and re-registering the virtual machine, or reloading its VMX configuration file.