VMware Aria Automation deployment cannot be destroyed due to missing VM state
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VMware Aria Automation deployment cannot be destroyed due to missing VM state

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Article ID: 423354

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Updated On:

Products

VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

In VMware Aria Automation 8.x, a deployment cannot be destroyed because a Virtual Machine (VM) within the deployment is reported in a Missing state. Even though the VM appears as Missing within the managed deployment, it remains visible in the Discovered VMs inventory. This situation typically occurs when the link between Aria Automation and the VM is broken, causing Aria to treat the existing VM as a new, unmanaged entity.

Environment

  • Product: VMware Aria Automation 8.x

  • Component: Cloud Assembly / Service Broker

  • Integrated Services: VMware vCenter Server

Cause

This issue is caused by a change in the VM's unique identifier (MoRef or Instance UUID) in vCenter, creating a "split-brain" scenario. Common triggers include:

  • Restoring the VM from a backup.

  • Migrating the VM across vCenters (Cross-vCenter vMotion).

  • Disaster Recovery (SRM) failover events.

When the ID changes, Aria Automation can no longer find the original record (VM-ID-OLD) and marks it as Missing. During data collection, Aria discovers the VM with its new ID (VM-ID-NEW) and categorizes it as a Discovered (unmanaged) resource.

Resolution

To destroy the deployment and the associated VM, you must perform a two-step cleanup to remove both the database record and the actual virtual resource.

Step 1: Force Delete the Deployment in Aria Automation

  1. Log in to VMware Aria Automation..

  2. Navigate to Deployments and select the affected deployment.

  3. Click Delete.

  4. If the standard delete action fails or prompts for options, select Ignore Delete Failures or Force Delete. This removes the metadata record from the Aria database without requiring successful communication with the "missing" VM.

Step 2: Manually Delete the VM from vCenter

  1. Log in to the vSphere Client (vCenter).

  2. Locate the VM in the inventory (matching the one previously found in the Discovered list).

  3. Right-click the VM and select Delete from Disk.

 

Note:  If you intended to keep the VM instead of destroying it, you must still follow Step 1 to remove the "Missing" record, then use the Onboarding tool in Cloud Assembly to re-import the Discovered VM back into management.

Additional Information

If you intended to keep the VM instead of destroying it, you must still follow Step 1 to remove the "Missing" record, then use the Onboarding tool in Cloud Assembly to re-import the Discovered VM back into management.

 

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