Clone, Storage vMotion, and snapshot consolidation operations are failing for virtual machines running on NFS3 volumes.

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Clone, svMotion and snapshot consolidation tasks do not work for virtual machines running on NFS volumes.

Below error is seen in UI during sVmotion task :

Error caused by file /vmfs/volumes/9f1e89dc-#########/TEST_VM/TEST_VM_2.vmdk
Copying Virtual Machine files

Below error is seen in UI during Consolidation :

An error occurred while consolidating disks: Unknown error.

Hostd.log :

2026-01-19T14:57:23.740Z verbose hostd[2100003] [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/2cafc019-########/Sample-virtual-machine/Sample-virtual-machine.vmx opID=mh1otv93-5244704-auto-34eue-h5:70888097-3e-01-6b-ac2c] Incomplete layout due to descriptor file /vmfs/volumes/2cafc019-########/Sample-virtual-machine/Sample-virtual-machine-000004.vmdk not found in extent map
2026-01-19T14:57:23.808Z verbose hostd[2100003] [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/2cafc019-########/Sample-virtual-machine/Sample-virtual-machine.vmx opID=mh1otv93-5244704-auto-34eue-h5:70888097-3e-01-6b-ac2c] Incomplete layout due to descriptor file /vmfs/volumes/2cafc019-########/Sample-virtual-machine/Sample-virtual-machine-000005.vmdk not found in extent map
2026-01-19T14:57:23.875Z verbose hostd[2100003] [Originator@6876 sub=Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/2cafc019-########/Sample-virtual-machine/Sample-virtual-machine.vmx opID=mh1otv93-5244704-auto-34eue-h5:70888097-3e-01-6b-ac2c] Incomplete layout due to descriptor file /vmfs/volumes/2cafc019-########/Sample-virtual-machine/Sample-virtual-machine-000006.vmdk not found in extent map

Syslog.log :

2026-01-19T13:09:26.119Z vaainasd[2098940]:  VAAI-NAS :: vendor_nas_plugin: SUCCESSES: RsrvSpace [0] Cln-Full [0] Cln-Lazy [0] cln-DRun [0], Ext-stats [440]
2026-01-19T13:09:26.119Z vaainasd[2098940]:  VAAI-NAS :: vendor_nas_plugin: FAILURES: RsrvSpace [0] Cln-Full [0] Cln-Lazy [0] cln-DRun [0], Ext-stats [17018]
2026-01-19T13:09:26.119Z vaainasd[2098940]:  VAAI-NAS :: NAS Mapping Used successfully for 18260 times
2026-01-19T14:09:26.544Z vaainasd[2098940]:  VAAI-NAS :: vendor_nas_plugin: SUCCESSES: RsrvSpace [0] Cln-Full [0] Cln-Lazy [0] cln-DRun [0], Ext-stats [448]
2026-01-19T14:09:26.544Z vaainasd[2098940]:  VAAI-NAS :: vendor_nas_plugin: FAILURES: RsrvSpace [0] Cln-Full [0] Cln-Lazy [0] cln-DRun [0], Ext-stats [19748]
2026-01-19T14:09:26.544Z vaainasd[2098940]:  VAAI-NAS :: NAS Mapping Used successfully for 20998 times
2026-01-19T15:09:27.027Z vaainasd[2098940]:  VAAI-NAS :: vendor_nas_plugin: SUCCESSES: RsrvSpace [0] Cln-Full [0] Cln-Lazy [0] cln-DRun [0], Ext-stats [456]
2026-01-19T15:09:27.027Z vaainasd[2098940]:  VAAI-NAS :: vendor_nas_plugin: FAILURES: RsrvSpace [0] Cln-Full [0] Cln-Lazy [0] cln-DRun [0], Ext-stats [20051]

Environment

• ESXi 8.x
• Storage array make and model : Netapp AFF-A220 and AFF-A400 || NetApp Release 9.10.1P15
• Storage protocol : NFS 3
• NetAppNasPlugin : 2.0.1-16

Cause

VAAI plugIn is in use and is failing to fetch the data.

Resolution

This is a 3rd party issue and issue should be further investigated by array vendor.

Workaround : Uninstall NAS VAAI plugIn.
For more details on removing third party vib, refer KB Instructions for uninstalling third-party VIBs from an ESXi host