OVF deployment failed due to error 'The operation failed due to The operation is not supported on the object'

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• When performing OVF deployment using the vCenter server UI console, the task may fails with an error 'The operation failed due to the operation is not supported on the object'

• Deployment of OVF using ovftools also fails with the error 'The operation is not supported on the object' . 
  
  
• The deployment task initiating from ESXI host UI console will not allow to proceed further when selecting the storage as part of deployment task. 
  
  
  
  
• The vpxd.log located under /var/log/vmware/vpxd has the following events. 
  
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.###<Time_Zone> error vpxd[10170] [Originator@6876 sub=VAppImport opID=23b39f93-01] Caught exception while importing vApp: N5Vmomi5Fault12NotSupported9ExceptionE(Fault cause: vmodl.fault.NotSupported
  --> )
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.###<Time_Zone> error vpxd[10170] [Originator@6876 sub=Default opID=23b39f93-01] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-79040 --  -- Resources -- ResourcePool.ImportVAppLRO: :vmodl.fault.NotSupported
  --> Result:
  --> (vmodl.fault.NotSupported) {
  -->    faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
  -->    faultMessage = <unset>
  -->    msg = ""
  --> }
  --> Args:
  -->
  
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.###error vpxd[13284] [Originator@6876 sub=Default opID=75901035] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR lro-113877 -- 5287fc81-1270-3675-533a-c47a5998eaa8(521a2c69-2795-ea3d-434f-0b00e05beb1c) -- session[session_ID] -- vim.HttpNfcLease.abort: :vim.fault.InvalidState
  --> Result:
  --> (vim.fault.InvalidState) {
  -->    faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
  -->    faultMessage = <unset>
  -->    msg = ""
  --> }
  --> Args:
  -->
  --> Arg fault:
  --> (vim.fault.OvfImportFailed) {
  -->    faultCause = (vmodl.fault.NotSupported) {
  -->       faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
  -->       faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
  -->          (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
  -->             key = "com.vmware.vdcs.util.not_supported",
  -->             arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
  -->                (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
  -->                   key = "0",
  -->                   value = "The operation is not supported on the object."
  -->                }
  -->             ],
  -->             message = "The operation failed due to The operation is not supported on the object."
  -->          }
  -->       ]
  -->       msg = "The operation failed due to The operation is not supported on the object."
  -->    },
  -->    faultMessage = <unset>
  -->    msg = ""
  --> }
  
  
• The content library logs logged following entries. 
  
  /var/log/vmware/content-library/cls.log 
  
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.### | DEBUG    | mqk4fy4o-10621-auto-872-h5:70002653-d8-bf | cls-simple-activity-5     | ImportSessionActivity          | Completing import lease ManagedObjectReference: type = HttpNfcLease, value = session[session_ID, serverGuid = GUID (exception: (vim.fault.OvfImportFailed) {
     faultCause = (vmodl.fault.NotSupported) {
        faultCause = null,
        faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
           (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
              dynamicType = null,
              dynamicProperty = null,
              key = com.vmware.vdcs.util.not_supported,
              arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
                 (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
                    dynamicType = null,
                    dynamicProperty = null,
                    key = 0,
                    value = The operation is not supported on the object.
                 }
              ],
              message = The operation failed due to The operation is not supported on the object.
           }
        ]
     },
     faultMessage = null
  
  

Environment

• vCenter server 8.0.x 
• ESXi 8.0.x

Cause

• The OVF deployment on the DRS disabled cluster may fails if the VM was exported from the cluster in which the resource pool has been configured.  
• Resource pool import task succeeds only if the DRS is enabled in cluster. 

Resolution

• To resolve this issue, enable DRS on the cluster and then retry performing the OVF deployment task. 
  
  Refer this document to enable DRS on cluster: Enable vSphere HA and vSphere DRS in ESXi