Datastore browser shows folder as empty when its not

[sssstew]

Hi All

I have used the VMware Convertor to essentially clone a VM we have, this allowed me to shrink the disk down, anyway when browsing the Datastore i can see the folder but the conents is empty, the original VM is ok, but the cloned VM you cannot see the files for.

If i go into Edit Settings for the VM and click on Hard Disk 1 the disk file is shown as :-

Template - Win 2003 Standard R2 /Template - Win 2003 Standard R2 .vmdk

But if i browse that datastore the \Template - Win 2003 Standard R2 folder is dead empty.

This server starts up fine, and if you use WINSCP to browse the file structure you can see the files there, so how come the datastore browser cannot see them?

I have tried using Vmotion to move the VM to a new datastore so from SATA2 to SATA3 but the same happened, empty folder.

Anyone found this bug before or fixed it?

Stew

[Texiwill]

Hello,

If you mnake the Template a VM does it reappear? I think VIC masks out Templates in some cases.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[sssstew]

This is a VM already, im just creating a new VM ready to convert to a template later.

I just tried converting it to a template, still didnt show, then converted back to a VM and still doesnt show

Stew

[Texiwill · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Never seen anything like this. Maybe it is how you named the VM.... Try something without dash or spaces as well. I use dash all the time, but never spaces. Spaces used to end up causing confusion.

Are you sure you are looking at the proper datastore? Go to your Datastore Configuration and do a refresh?

Are you using VIC direct to host or VIC through vCenter?

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[puzzledtux]

This is certainly a strange behavior! Now are you able to register the new cloned virtual machine from the ESX command line using "vmware-cmd"

vmware-cmd -s register /vmfs/volumes/

Does this register your virtual machine in the inventory?

[kennys0]

I've encountered this or something similar before. In my case it was a trailing space on the directory name. It's easy to replicate this in your service console

cd /vmfs/volumes/<your-datastore>/

mkdir 'test '

cd 'test '

touch test.txt

Then in the datastore browser list the contents of the folder. It appears empty. I haven't got round to logging this as a bug.

[sssstew]

Thanks All, you pointed me in the right direction, it was the length of name with spaces etc.

It was down to the initial name chosen for the VM. Our rule now is to use short names with no space in to initially name the VM when creating it, thus the datastore folder gets a nice short name, then once this is setup we will rename the VM later which leaves the Datastore name nice and short and compatible.

Stew

[Satyam1234]

Hi - i have same problem in Data store,i cant able to see the files, tough VM is working fine, i can able to move from one data store to others. Aftre migrating to the new Data store still same.

Also tried to rename the VM without keeping space/ - . Problem still Same.

Can anyone advice me on this.

[mhartley]

Hi,

I had the same problem.

In my case, I had a in the end of the name of my VM folder.

What I've done to solve the problem:

1. Connected to the console

2. renamed the VM folder without a space in the end

[jonmusker]

Genius!

That's solved a long-standing issue I've been having with about thirty of my virtual machines!

Rename the VM in vCentre, then use storage vMotion and the problem is fixed (without any downtime)

Jon