Cold migration fails with the error: Incompatible device backing specified for device

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Cold Migration fails
• You see the error:
  
  Incompatible device backing specified for device #
  
  
• The VPXD logs contain the entries:
  
  Passthrough backing not supported: (vim.vm.device.VirtualCdrom)
  
  Exception thrown vim.fault.InvalidDeviceBacking

Environment

VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable
VMware ESX 4.1.x
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware ESX Server 3.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded
VMware ESX Server 3.5.x
VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.0.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x

Resolution

This issue may occur if CD-ROM properties are configured incorrectly.

You must ensure that the CD-ROM device is configured correctly.

To verify CD-ROM configuration:

1. Click VM > Settings to open the virtual machine settings editor.
2. On the Hardware tab, check the CD-ROM properties. If the CD-ROM is set toHost Device,change it toClient Device.
3. If no physical drive or ISO image is connected, check the .vmx file to see if it indicates if a CD-ROM or an ISO image is connected.
4. If the .vmx file indicates a connected device, remove the CD-ROM from the virtual machine and add a new CD-ROM. The .vmx file is updated with the correct CD-ROM setting.

Additional Information

For translated versions of this article, see:

• 日本語: コールド移行が次のエラーで失敗する： Incompatible device backing specified for device (2080694)
  
• 简体中文: 冷迁移失败，并出现“为设备指定的设备备份不兼容”错误 (2106187)