Knowledge Base

The VMware Knowledge Base provides support solutions, error messages and troubleshooting guides
 
Search the VMware Knowledge Base (KB)   View by Article ID
 

Virtual machine changes to the Snapshot-Consolidate mode during the Delete-All-Snapshot operation (2222)

Details

A virtual machine moves to snapshot-consolidate mode during a delete-all-snapshot operation, and I get an unable to access a file since it is locked error message. What's going on?

Solution

If a virtual machine is currently running off a snapshot and you add or hot-add a disk to the virtual machine, choosing to store the disk on a datastore other than the one on which the virtual machine's working directory resides, then the disk that is added does not have a unique disk name. Once in this situation, if you attempt to delete snapshots on the powered-on virtual machine, the operation fails with a FileLocked error and you see multiple Consolidate Helper snapshots in the virtual machine's Snapshot Manager. You must power off the virtual machine and delete the Consolidate Helper snapshots to return the virtual machine to the desired state.
 
To work around this problem:
  • If a virtual machine is running off a snapshot, any disks added to the virtual machine must be added to the same datastore on which the virtual machine's working directory resides.

  • If a virtual machine is running off a snapshot and you want to add a disk on a different datastore, you must consolidate all the snapshots of the virtual machine prior to adding the disk, if this is possible.

  • After you have added a disk on a datastore other than the virtual machine running off a snapshot, you should power off the virtual machine before deleting its snapshots. While this approach is not guaranteed to work in every case, at least the virtual machine is not left with Consolidate Helper snapshots.

  • Power off the virtual machine before attempting to delete the Consolidate Helper snapshots.
Note: In some cases, the virtual machine disk state might remain inconsistent despite deleting the helper snapshots. As a result, you might run into problems during subsequent operations on the virtual machine.

Keywords

2222

Update History

11/11/2011 - Added ESX/ESXi 4.x to Products

Request a Product Feature

To request a new product feature or to provide feedback on a VMware product, please visit the Request a Product Feature page.

Feedback

  • 11 Ratings

Did this article help you?
This article resolved my issue.
This article did not resolve my issue.
This article helped but additional information was required to resolve my issue.
What can we do to improve this information? (4000 or fewer characters)
  • 11 Ratings
Actions
KB: