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Title
vRanger 5.2 Hot-Add fails on Random VMs -
Description
When attempting an ESXi backup via the hot-add LAN-free feature, the Hot-Add operation hangs at 23%, backup fails over to Console (network) mode (if enabled), or hangs (if Console mode not enabled) until the task timeout period is reached (which is defined in Tools--->Options--->Configuration).
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Cause
Upon examining the VMs file system in the VMware client's Datastore Browser tool, the typical VMware icon (three blue boxes) is not visible on the .vmx (configuration) file for the VM (instead, the icon is a "blank sheet of paper" icon). Attempting to download the file will fail with a non-specific file. This file needs to be parsed by the vRanger hot-add process in order to obtain the disk UUIDs of the VMs that are being backed-up via hot-add. With the file in this current state, the file cannot be manipulated or opened, so the hot-add cannot proceed.
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Resolution
This is due to some locking mechanism that VMware has on this file (cause not yet known but under investigation). Even though no hot-add tasks are running, the Virtual Center/host is not allowing this file to be opened by the vRanger hot-add process. A workaround is to vMotion the VM to another host, then check out the file system in Datastore Browser. If the familiar VMware icon is present, attempt to download the file to the Windows desktop where the VMware client is being run. If the file downloads, the problem likely is temporarily fixed. Refresh the vRanger inventory, then re-run a hot-add backup job to test. If the job progresses past the "attempting to backup via hot-add" and you see "reconfiguring virtual machine" tasks be displayed in the VMware client's task bar, the job is working. To test further, after throughput on the backup job is displayed in vRanger, check the "edit settings" page for the vRanger VM. You should see "extra" hot-added disks (these are the disks of the VM being backed-up). This ensures that hot-add is now working.
NOTE: At this time, vMotioning the VM back to its original location after a successful move to another machine/hot-add test will NOT remove the lock on this .vmx file. The only current workaround (under investigation) is to reboot the ESXi host to clear the lock.