Troubleshooting migration compatibility error: Unable to access the virtual machine configuration: Unable to access file
Symptoms
When performing a VMotion migration the following compatibility error is displayed:
Unable to migrate from <source server> to <destination server>: Unable to access the virtual machine configuration: Unable to access file. [<datastore>] <file> .
Resolution
Overview
This unable to migrate error message is shown if VirtualCenter is unable to access the virtual machine configuration files across the ESX Server hosts that are participating in the VMotion.
The most common reason for this error message is that the virtual machine is located on local storage, however it can also indicate a misconfiguration of the shared storage between the ESX Server hosts.
Workaround
To workaround this issue:
Verify your storage configuration. Check that the virtual machine is located on shared storage, and that the same shared storage is presented to both of the ESX Server hosts in your environment
Power down the virtual machine and perform a cold migration.
