Converting a vmdk file to an ESXi host fails.

[atsue]

Hello Team,

I created a vmdk file using the V2V Converter.
I'm trying to convert this vmdk file to an ESXi host, but an error occurs and the conversion fails.
I'd like to know the cause of the error and how to resolve it.

Source vmdk file size: 1.1TB
Source SSD: External disk (2TB)
ESXi host version: 7.0

10/4 18:24:46.462 1d54 Facility ???INFO: CV2V_ConverterApp::InitInstance: SetDllDirectory: C:\Program Files\StarWind Software\StarWind V2V Converter\lib
10/4 18:24:46.462 1d54 Facility ???INFO: CV2V_ConverterApp::InitInstance: File Version: 9.0.1.772
10/4 18:24:46.462 1d54 Facility ???INFO: CV2V_ConverterApp::InitInstance: Load language IDR_XML_ENGLISH
10/4 18:24:46.462 1d54 Facility ???INFO: CV2V_ConverterApp::InitInstance: Set current language English
10/4 18:24:46.462 1d54 Facility ???INFO: CPS_V2V_Converter::CPS_V2V_Converter: Version MajorVersion 10, MinorVersion 0, BuildNumber 22631
10/4 18:24:46.477 1d54 Facility ???INFO: WrapperHyperV::WrapperHyperV: LoadLibrary C:\Windows\system32\wbem\wmiutils.dll - 6eac0000
10/4 18:24:46.477 1d54 Facility ???INFO: WrapperHyperV::WrapperHyperV: LoadLibrary C:\Windows\system32\wbem\wmiutils.dll - 6eac0000
10/4 18:24:52.962 1d54 Facility ???INFO: ICPPage::OnWizardNext: SetActivePage - eInputFile
10/4 18:24:57.385 1d54 Facility ???INFO: CPPInputFile::checkFile: Select file: F:\VM-WIN2012R2.vmdk
10/4 18:24:57.511 1d54 Facility ???INFO: VMwareFile::ParseFile: sFilename - F:\VM-WIN2012R2.vmdk
10/4 18:24:57.511 1d54 Facility ???INFO: CPPInputFile::checkFile: ParseFile: 0
10/4 18:24:57.511 1d54 Facility ???INFO: CPPInputFile::checkFile: File type: IDS_IMAGE_CONVERTER_FORMAT_NAME_VMDK_VMFSFLAT File size: 2343174144 sectors
10/4 18:24:58.940 1d54 Facility ???INFO: ICPPage::OnWizardNext: SetActivePage - eLocationTo
10/4 18:25:01.563 1d54 Facility ???INFO: ICPPage::OnWizardNext: SetActivePage - eVMSettingsAWS
10/4 18:25:17.231 3200 Facility ???INFO: WrapperESXI::connect: m_url - https://esxi001.example.com/sdk
10/4 18:25:17.278 3200 Facility ???INFO: WrapperESXI::connect: fullName - Administrator, key - 52281442-8275-0e9e-390c-cabc0f15e1e6
10/4 18:25:17.294 31dc Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::Connection::<lambda_4eab79f5f0516eba86b7810fe0d8b684>::operator (): Worker thread started.
10/4 18:25:17.294 3200 Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::Connection: No_timeout ESX connection
10/4 18:25:17.294 1d54 Facility ???INFO: ICPPage::OnWizardNext: SetActivePage - eESXConnectionTo
10/4 18:25:17.671 1d54 Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::GetHostListInfo: ESX version: 7.0.3
10/4 18:25:23.422 1d54 Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::GetHostListInfo: ESX version: 7.0.3
10/4 18:25:42.920 1d54 Facility ???WARNING: CPPOutputVM::OnButtonBrowseClick: Fill up GUID is fail
10/4 18:25:45.606 1d54 Facility ???INFO: ICPPage::OnWizardNext: SetActivePage - eOptionsVDI
10/4 18:25:46.579 1d54 Facility ???INFO: ICPPage::OnWizardNext: SetActivePage - eAzureConnection
10/4 18:25:47.775 1d54 Facility ???INFO: ICPPage::OnWizardNext: SetActivePage - eHYPERVConnectionTo
10/4 18:25:47.790 149c Facility ???INFO: CPPConverting::Convert: InConvertType: 4, OutConvertType: 5
10/4 18:25:48.842 149c Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::CreateVM: createVM is true, 1432
10/4 18:25:48.842 149c Facility ???INFO: CPPConverting::Convert: Create VM 1432
10/4 18:25:49.061 149c Facility ???INFO: CPPConverting::ConvertDisks: pathInput: F:\VM-WIN2012R2.vmdk, pathOutput: [EXAM-DATASTORE01] VM-WIN2012R2/VM-WIN2012R2.vmdk
10/4 18:25:49.061 149c Facility ???INFO: VMwareFile::ParseFile: sFilename - F:\VM-WIN2012R2.vmdk
10/4 18:25:49.076 149c Facility ???INFO: CPPConverting::ConvertDisks: CreateInputImage: 0
10/4 18:25:49.076 149c Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::AddVirtualDisk: Attach random
10/4 18:25:49.266 149c Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::AddVirtualDisk: Finded SCSI_0 numLoc - 0
10/4 18:25:49.329 149c Facility ???INFO: WrapperESXI::Wait: Progress - 100
10/4 18:25:49.516 149c Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::AddVirtualDisk: attachDisk is 1
10/4 18:25:49.516 149c Facility ???INFO: ESXVmdk::ParseFile: sFilename - [EXAM-DATASTORE01] VM-WIN2012R2/VM-WIN2012R2.vmdk
10/4 18:25:49.516 149c Facility ???INFO: ESXVmdk::ParseFile: m_cvmxSpec - moref=1432
10/4 18:25:49.518 149c Facility ???INFO: VMDK_API_Wrapper::getSslThumbprint: Resolving domain name - esxi001.example.com, resolved ip - 192.168.0.10
10/4 18:25:49.518 149c Facility ???INFO: ESXVmdk::ParseFile: sslThumbprint - B4:14:CF:9C:24:4A:5A:99:AE:B4:3E:BB:9F:DD:31:60:E6:2F:24:7E
10/4 18:25:49.707 149c Facility ???ERROR: ESXVmdk::ParseFile: m_VixDiskLib_Open is fail - 4, A file was not found
10/4 18:25:49.707 149c Facility ???ERROR: ESXIDisk::CreateOutputImage: ParseFile is fail
10/4 18:25:49.707 149c Facility ???INFO: CPPConverting::ConvertDisks: CreateOutputImage: 1
10/4 18:25:49.707 149c Facility ???ERROR: CPPConverting::Convert: FAILED
10/4 18:26:09.166 31dc Facility ???INFO: VMConverter::ESXIConverter::Connection::<lambda_4eab79f5f0516eba86b7810fe0d8b684>::operator (): Worker thread exiting.

[yaroslav (staff)]

Please tell me more about conversion scenario: destination, source, is the VM on, disk type, does it have snapshots on it? Also, is it a VXRAIL system?
Are any of them free ESXi?
V2V can't read a file:it might be in use, or have non-ascii symbols in name.

[atsue]

Step1:
The physical server's hard disk was converted to a vmdk file using P2V and saved to the local disk.
->OK.

Step2:
I am trying to convert the vmdk file created in Step1 to an ESXi host 7.0.
->Failed.


Destination:
The destination is an ESXi host 7.0. One host is part of a cluster managed by vCenter.

Source:
A group of vmdk files stored on an external SSD (USB 3.0) connected to the local PC.
2 files below.
xxxxx.vmdk
xxxxx-flat.vmdk

is the VM on:
There are a dozen VMs at the destination.

Disk Type:
A group of vmdk files created by P2V using StarWind V2V Converter.

Snapshot:
none.

It is not a VXRAIL system.
It's a commercial ESXi, not a free one.

[yaroslav (staff)]

Thanks for more detail.
Please try pointing to an individual host, not the vCenter.
Also, these files are already VMDK; you can copy them to vSphere and recreate the VM.

[atsue]

If I didn't explain it well, this refers to an ESXi host managed by vCenter.
Just to be sure, I tried specifying other ESXi hosts, but the result was the same.

Of the following two files,
xxxxx.vmdk
-> unnecessary
xxxxx-flat.vmdk
-> after uploading to the datastore, can I rename it to xxxxx.vmdk and use it as is?

[yaroslav (staff)]

You need both, I believe. One is a pointer to another, afaik.

Just to make sure I am reading it right: did you try converting a local VMDK to a remote ESXi host?

[atsue]

I was able to upload the vmdk file to the datastore and create the virtual machine. Thanks!

By the way, what was causing the "m_VixDiskLib_Open is fail - 4, A file was not found" error?

[yaroslav (staff)]

It is likely to refer to the wrong file/unable to access the file.
You don't need StarWind V2V to copy disks.

[atsue]

I was able to upload the vmdk file to the datastore and create a virtual machine, In the testing environment.
The test environment was a VMFS datastore, so I was able to upload the file, but the production environment is a vSAN datastore, so I was unable to upload it.
According to VMware support, there are no upload limits on VMFS datastores, but there are upload limits on vSAN datastores.

vSAN Datastore Upload Limits:
- The maximum file size that can be uploaded is 255GB per file.
- Even if I can upload a vmdk file, I can't register it as a virtual machine because it can't be converted to a vSAN object.

Does the V2V Converter support conversion to a vSAN datastore?

If not, could that be the reason for the error "m_VixDiskLib_Open is fail - 4, A file was not found"?

[yaroslav (staff)]

I don't think it was tested with vSAN datastores because, from what you say, it looks very different to a regular VMFS.
What is the OS for the destination machine? I am thinking of copying the disc contents to the virtual disk mapped over the network with something like rclone or Macrium reflect.