P2V conversion of a Linux virtual machine fails with the error: mkdir: cannot create directory

Products

• VMware

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Cannot perform a P2V conversion of a Linux virtual machine using vCenter Converter Standalone
• P2V conversion of a Linux virtual machine using vCenter Converter Standalone fails
• When you click Next in the Specify Source page of the Converter wizard, you see the error:
  
  Unable to query the live Linux source machine
  
  
• In the Converter logs, you see messages similar to:
  
  error 'App'] [Converter Agent SysinfoQuery] while trying to execute "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone\plink.exe -noprompt -stdin -nokeycheck -P 22 [email protected] cat /tmp/.vmware-sysinfo-ozamrziudxivlzpu/vmware-sysinfo.log" received error code (1) with result: cat: /tmp/.vmware-sysinfo-ozamrziudxivlzpu/vmware-sysinfo.log: No such file or directory
  error 'App'] Sysinfo Query failed with error Converter Agent SysinfoQuery failed to make temp directory; return code: 1; result: mkdir: cannot create directory `/tmp/.vmware-sysinfo-ozamrziudxivlzpu/': Too many links

Environment

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.3.x
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 4.0.x

Resolution

This issue may occur if you are using an ext3 filesystem and the number of subdirectories within the tmp directory has exceeded 31988. The ext3 filesystem limits the number of subdirectories within a directory to 31998.

Note: For more information on the ext3 filesystem and its limitation on the number of subdirectories, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext3.

To resolve this issue:

1. Log in to the source physical machine via SSH using the root username and password.
   
2. Run the ls command and check if the tmp folder has 31998 directories.
   
   Alternatively, try creating a subdirectory within the tmp directory by using the mkdir command and see if you get the error:
   
   Failed to mkdir - Too many links
   
   
3. If the number of subdirectories within the tmp directory has exceeded the limit, move the subdirectories in the tmp directory to another directory and then delete its contents. To do this, run these commands:
   
   #mkdir backup
   #cd tmp
   #mv * /backup
   
   You should now be able to perform the P2V conversion.

Additional Information

When performing a Linux conversion you receive the error: Unable to query live Linux source machine