Unable to locate VM folder while browsing the datastore from vSphere UI

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

VM folders are not visible when browsing the datastore through the vSphere UI's datastore browser. The folders are confirmed to exist and are accessible when using the vSphere Host Client or ESXi Command Line Interface (CLI).

Environment

VMware vCenter Server

Cause

The issue is due to an enforced upper bound limit on the search results within the product design.

• The maximum number of entries that can be returned by the internal search() API is limited to 25,000. This limit was implemented to prevent memory exhaustion and resource issues that could lead to vpxa crashes.
  
  
• When a datastore path contains more than 25,000 entries (folders), the search operation truncates the results, causing VM folders beyond the limit to appear missing.

Resolution

The folders must be reduced or migrated to bring the datastore back within the design limit and to follow one of the below options

1. Reduce Folder Count:
   • Identify and remove unused or obsolete VM folders from the datastore.
   • Action: Ensure the total number of folders in the main path is reduced below the 25,000 entry limit.
     
     
2. Perform Storage Migration:
   • Action: Perform a Storage vMotion to migrate the affected VMs off the oversized datastore and onto the new datastore.
     
     
3. Workaround for Immediate Access to VM folder:
   • Action: Access the VM folder by using the vSphere Host Client or connecting via CLI to the host that has the datastore mounted.