Why Is Your vSphere VM Inaccessible? Causes, Impact, and Solutions
In a virtualized environment powered by VMware vSphere, VM inaccessibility is a serious issue that can interrupt operations and lead to data loss.
One of the most common causes occurs when an ESXi/ESX host is rebooted or its agent restarted. In this case, each registered VM’s configuration file (.vmx) needs to be reloaded.
But if the `.vmx` file is missing, corrupted, or inaccessible, the VM will appear as Unknown in the vSphere Client. This blocks access to the VM and disables essential actions like powering on, shutting down, or migrating the virtual machine.
An Overview:
Why vSphere VM Inaccessibility Matters
This issue has the power to affect enterprise operations in several ways, as seen below:
- Productivity Loss: You can’t manage or use the VM.
- Data Loss Risk: If the VM contains critical data and cannot be backed up, the potential for permanent data loss is high.
- Resource Wastage: Inaccessible VMs may continue consuming allocated resources, such as CPU and memory, without delivering any business value.
In some cases, users may encounter additional VM access problems like “Taking ownership of this virtual machine failed”, which often arise from permission conflicts or locked files.
Common Causes & Fixes
1. Configuration File Failures
If the .vmx file of a VM becomes inaccessible, it can cause the VM to go into an unknown or orphaned state.
Click here for the Solution.
Here’s how to troubleshoot it:
- Mount the VMFS drive using a supported application.
- Access the VMDK files from another system via iSCSI, SSH, or direct connection.
- Scan and mount the disk image using a disk recovery tool like DiskInternals VMFS Recovery.
- Preview files to ensure data integrity before recovering them (note: full recovery requires a licensed version of the tool).
If you’re managing VMs with Virtualizor or exploring alternatives, you might also want to check how to set up Virtualizor with KVM bridge.
2. Disk or Filesystem Failures
A full disk or corrupted filesystem on the vCenter Server or VCSA can trigger service issues that lead to VM inaccessibility.
Click here for the Solution.
- First, check disk space using:
df -h - Monitor system load with:
top - Then, scan and repair the filesystem:
e2fsck -y /dev/sdX - Now, restart vCenter Server:
reboot
3. Network or DNS Misconfiguration
VMware services rely on correct DNS settings. Any misconfiguration here can trigger the 503 Service Unavailable error and lead to inaccessible VMs.
Click here for the Solution.
To fix DNS issues:
- Check the `/etc/hosts` file and ensure it includes the correct FQDN and short names:
vCenter_IP vCenter_FQDN short_name - Then, restart the vpxd service:
service vmware-vpxd restart - Verify service status:
service vmware-vpxd status - If using an external Platform Services Controller (PSC), restart associated services:
/etc/init.d/vmware-stsd restart
/etc/init.d/vmware-sts-idmd restart
service vmware-cm restart
Furthermore, we can use embedded PSC deployments in newer vCenter releases to reduce DNS dependency and simplify troubleshooting.
DNS issues are especially critical in larger environments. During setup, be sure to follow best practices like those in our VMware vSphere 7.3 setup guide.
How to Remove an Inaccessible VM from ESXi
When a VM becomes orphaned or inaccessible and recovery isn’t possible, we can remove it cleanly using VMware PowerCLI.
- Identify orphaned VMs by checking the connection state:
Get-VM | Select Name, @{N="State"; E={$_.ExtensionData.Runtime.ConnectionState}}
- Then, filter VMs with ‘orphaned’ status.
- Remove VMs using:
Get-VM -Name "orphaned_VM_name" | Remove-VM -DeletePermanently - Re-register VMs by locating the `.vmx` file in the datastore and selecting “Register VM” in the ESXi interface.
If you’re using Virtualizor and encounter migration issues during such operations, our blog on Virtualizor migration and clone task errors may help you troubleshoot further.
[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]
Conclusion
Inaccessible virtual machines in vSphere environments pose a real threat to business continuity. Whether it’s a simple misconfiguration or a deep-seated file system issue, troubleshooting and resolving these problems quickly can save time, resources, and data.
In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated what to do if your vSphere VM is inaccessible.
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