Error "nova.virt.vmwareapi.imagecache [<req ID>] Image [<Datastore Name>] [<File Name]>is no longer used. Deleting!" is observed while deleting VMDK files associated with Nova Cache Images.

Products

• VMware Integrated OpenStack

Issue/Introduction

vCenter receives too many  python requests generated from the VIO controller nodes.

In vCenter  journalctl log we see the below python requests recieved from the VIO controller node

[2025-05-23T07:20:21.977726Z] [vim.event.DatastoreFileDeletedEvent] [info] [############\Administrator] [Deletion of file or directory [Datastore name] VIO_######################################_base/####################### from <Datastore name> was initiated from 'python-requests/2.22.0@<VIO Controller IIP address>' and completed with status 'Failure']

This causes the vCenter Server to go unresponsive or vCenter Server HA failover.  

VIO nova-compute.log has the below errors 

2025-06-30 04:37:06.267 1 WARNING nova.virt.vmwareapi.imagecache [req-###################### - - - - -] Unable to delete [Datastore Name] VIO_############################_base/########################. Exception: Cannot delete file [Datastore name] VIO_############################_base/########################: oslo_vmware.exceptions.CannotDeleteFileException: Cannot delete file [Datastore name] VIO_############################_base/########################.

2025-06-30 03:55:18.890 1 INFO nova.virt.vmwareapi.imagecache [req-############################# - - - - -] Image [Datastore Name] VIO_############################_base/######################## is no longer used. Deleting!

Environment

7.x

Cause

• VIO controller nodes delete the unused nova cache image files is an expected behavior.
• The nova cache images are used only for instance creation
• This issue occurs if the vmdk files associated with the unused nova cache image files cannot be deleted from the vCenter Server for some reason.

Resolution

• Manually delete the vmdks from the vCenter Server. 
• The message "Image <image path> is no longer used. Deleting!" means that the cached vm is not used by any instances and can be deleted.
• Please raise a ticket with Broadcom Technical Support to validate that the VMDKs are not actively used by any instances or virtual machines.

Note: Please ensure you have a valid backup of all the instances in VIO and Virtual machines from the vCenter inventory or the Datastore before performing any deletions.  

Please refer to the below link for backing up VIO Deployment VMware Integrated OpenStack Administration Guide Page 160.