Configuration Information Lost If ESX Server 3i Is Not Shut Down Properly
Details
Configuration information is saved to the USB flash drive by ESX Server 3i during shutdown. If ESX Server 3i is shut down improperly due to a system crash, power outage, or another failure, configuration information, such as virtual machine and network configuration, is lost. Configuration information is written periodically to the USB memory, so only those configuration changes since the last write are lost in the event of an improper shut down of ESX Server 3i.
Solution
If an improper shutdown of ESX Server 3i causes the loss of virtual machines in the inventory, you can browse the datastore holding the virtual machines, right-click the virtual machine configuration file (.vmx), and select Add to Inventory to restore the virtual machine.
