When an ESXi/ESX host is rebooted or a host agent is restarted, it needs to reload the host agent configuration of each registered virtual machine (.vmx file). If the .vmx file is inaccessible, the ESXi/ESX host is unable to read the configured name of the virtual machine, and it defaults to Unknown VM.
If the virtual machine is still renamed as Unknown VM, examine the /etc/vmware/hostd/vmInventory.xml file on the host showing which virtual machines were formerly registered. Make a note of the virtual machines and the datastores on which they are located and then re-register the virtual machines.
To re-register a virtual machine:
- Right-click the Unknown VM entry and click Remove From Inventory.
- Browse to the appropriate datastore for the virtual machine and open the folder.
- Right-click the *.vmx file and click Add to Inventory.
- Power on the virtual machine.
- Repeat Steps 1 to 4 for all unknown virtual machines.
Additional Information
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