VM Template Registration Failed with Error "Unable to Write VMX File: '/vmfs/volume/datastore/VM_Name.vmtx'"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• When attempting to register a VM template to vCenter, the process fails with the error message: 
  • Unable to write VMX file: "/vmfs/volume/datastore/file_name.vmtx"
• Datastore location where the VM template is stored has only read only access to the file system. 
• From /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log
  • YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ info vpxd[21###92] [Originator@6876 sub=vpxLro opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01] [VpxLRO] -- BEGIN lro-88047241 -- group-v####7 -- vim.Folder.registerVm -- 52####51-####-####-####-f5b######3b6(52#####bb-####-####-####-90#######7a4)
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ error vpxd[21###92] [Originator@6876 sub=VmProv opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01] Failed to register VM on host; [vim.HostSystem:host-4###7,esxi_host.domain.com], name: VM_Name, config: ds:///vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ error vpxd[21###92] [Originator@6876 sub=VmProv opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01] Get exception while executing action vpx.vmprov.RegisterDestinationVm:
--> (vim.fault.GenericVmConfigFault) {
-->    faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
-->       (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
-->          key = "msg.vigor.vmx.write.error",
-->          arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
-->             (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
-->                key = "1",
-->                value = "/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx"
-->             }
-->          ],
-->          message = "Unable to write VMX file: /vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx."
-->       },
-->       (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
-->          key = "msg.fileio.lock",
-->          message = "Failed to lock the file",
-->       }
-->    ],
-->    reason = "Unable to write VMX file: /vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx.",
-->    msg = "Unable to write VMX file: /vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx."
--> }
• From /var/run/log/hostd.log
  • YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(166) Hostd[20###20]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.TaskManager opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] Task Created : haTask-ha-folder-vm-vim.Folder.registerVm-72###0
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(166) Hostd[20###20]: [Originator@6876 sub=MetadataTagExtractor opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####6c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] Applied tag : id [Tag rule id=rule[CreatingVm], tag=creatingVm, regex=vim\.Folder\.(createVm|registerVm)|vim\.Host\.LowLevelProvisioningManager\.(createVm|reconfigVm)|vim\.ResourcePool\.importVApp - Identifies operations that create a virtual machine] to operation: vim.Folder.registerVm
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(166) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Solo.HaVMFolder opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] Register called: []/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Db(167) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] Registering virtual machine [76]: /vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(166) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Libs opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52###c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] FILE:open error on /vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx.lck: Read-only file system
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Wa(164) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Libs opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] FILE: FileIO_Lock on '/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx' failed: Read-only file system
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Db(167) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vigor.Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:CDomain\Username] Set display name message: Unable to write VMX file: /vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx.
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Db(167) Hostd[20###91]: --> Failed to lock the file
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Db(167) Hostd[20###91]: -->

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server Appliance 7.X
• VMware vCenter Server Appliance 8.X

Cause

• During the registration process, the system attempts a VM reconfiguration, which involves renaming the virtual machine. Since the datastore only allows read access, the rename operation fails.
• From /var/run/log/hostd.log
  • YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(166) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] State Transition (VM_STATE_OFF -> VM_STATE_RECONFIGURING)
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(166) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] State Transition (VM_STATE_RECONFIGURING -> VM_STATE_OFF)
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ In(166) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] Rename request failed - rename virtual machine from vmname to VM_Name
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ Wa(164) Hostd[20###16]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM_Name/VM_Name.vmtx opID=m######w-25#####8-auto-######-h5:70####79-##-01-48-093f sid=52####c user=vpxuser:Domain\Username] Setting name of virtual machine failed

Resolution

To resolve the issue, follow these steps:

• Take SSH of the ESXi host and login with root credentials. 
• Change directory to datastore where the VM template is stored. 
  

  • cd /vmfs/volume/datastore/VM_Name/

• Edit the VM_name.vmtx file and modify the parameter "displayName" to required VM name i.e., "VM_Name"

  • vi VN_Name.vmtx

  • For example:

    • displayName = "VM_Name"

• Save the file.

  • :wq!

• Then again try to register the VM template to the vCenter.