• Storage vMotion migration fails.
• In vCenter Server 5.0, the Migrate option is unavailable.
• You cannot drag and drop the virtual machine from one folder to another.
• You cannot move virtual machine between folders.
• The virtual machine Remove from Inventory option is unavailable.
• In vSphere Client, you see these errors:
   
  • The method is disabled by '_DP-VEPA_BACKUP_RESTORE_LOCK_'
    Error Stack
    Call "VirtualMachine.Relocate" for object "VM-NAME" on vCenter Server "vCenter-Name" failed
     
  • The method is disabled by 'SYMC-INCR dd-mm-yyyy hh:mm'
    Error Stack
    Call "VirtualMachine.Relocate" for object "VM-NAME" on vCenter Server "vCenter-Name" failed
     
  • The method is disabled by 'Data Recovery'
     
  • The method is disabled by 'vSphere Data Protection'
     
  • This method is disabled by 'moref=vm-ID'
     
  • Error:fault.MethodDisabled.summary
     
• Storage vMotion fails with the generic error message:
  
  The method is disabled by XXXXXXXXXXX
   
• When you start vMotion, you see the message:
  
  Invalid / explicitly disabled state operation is invoked
  
  
  Note: The preceding log excerpts are only examples. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment.

Note: Please work with 3rd party products Backup vendor to fix their code to cleanly handle enable/disable methods API.

Caution: This procedure modifies the database. Ensure to take a full backup of your existing database before proceeding with any of these options. Involve a Database Administrator if you have any difficulty with these steps.

To work around this issue, use one of these options:

• Schedule another backup
• Manually remove entries from the vCenter Server database
• Manually remove entries from the vCenter Server Appliance vPostgres database
• Remove and re-add the virtual machine from the inventory
• Remove and re-add the ESXi/ESX hosting the virtual machine from the inventory

Schedule another backup

1. Stop the vCenter Server services.
2. Take a backup of the vCenter Server database.
3. Run thisSQL statement against the vCenter Server database:
   
   select * from VPX_VM WHERE FILE_NAME LIKE '%Virtual-Machine-Name%'
   
   where Virtual-Machine-Name is the name of the virtual machine. Leave the percentage (%) signs flanking the name.
    
4. Make a note of the vm-ID_Number value returned by the SQL statement in step 3, as this will be required in the SQL statement in steps 5 and 6.
5. To confirm the stale entry, run this SQL statement against the vCenter Server database:
   
   select * from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4'
    
6. To remove the stale entry, run this SQL statement against the vCenter Server database:
   
   delete from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4'
    
7. Start the vCenter Server services, then retry the Storage vMotion. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter services (1003895).

Manually remove entries from the vCenter Server and vCenter Server Appliance vPostgres database

1. Connect to the vCenter Server Appliance using SSH. For more information, see Enable or Disable SSH Administrator Login on the VMware vCenter Server Appliance section in the vCenter Server and Host Management Guide.
2. Stop the VMware VirtualCenter Server service using this command:
   
   service vmware-vpxd stop
    
3. Take a backup of the vCenter Server database. For more information, see Backing up and restoring the vCenter Server Appliance vPostgres database (2034505).
4. Run this command against the vCenter Server database.
   
   sudo /opt/vmware/vpostgres/1.0/bin/psql -d VCDB vc -c "select * from VPX_VM WHERE FILE_NAME LIKE '%Virtual-Machine-Name%';"
   
   where Virtual-Machine-Name is the name of the virtual machine. Leave the percentage (%) signs flanking the name.
    
5. Make a note of the numerical ID value returned by the SQL statement in step 4, as this will be required in the SQL statement in steps 6 and 7.
6. To confirm the stale entry, run this command against the vCenter Server database:
   
   sudo /opt/vmware/vpostgres/1.0/bin/psql -d VCDB vc -c "select * from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4';"
    
7. To remove the stale entry, run this command against the vCenter Server database:
   
   sudo /opt/vmware/vpostgres/1.0/bin/psql -d VCDB vc -c "delete from VPX_DISABLED_METHODS WHERE ENTITY_MO_ID_VAL = 'vm-ID from step 4';"
    
8. Start the VMware VirtualCenter Server service, then retry the Storage vMotion. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter Server Appliance services (2054085).

1. Power off the virtual machine.
2. In vSphere Client, right-click the virtual machine and click Remove from Inventory.
3. Browse to the datastore where the virtual machine resides.
4. Right-click the .vmx file of the virtual machine and click Add to Inventory.
   
   Note: This gives the virtual machine a new ID.
    
5. Power on the virtual machine and retry the Storage vMotion.

Remove and re-add the ESX/ESXi from the inventory

1. In the vSphere Client, right-click the ESXi/ESX host and click Disconnect.
2. Right-click the disconnected ESXi/ESX host and click Remove from Inventory.
3. After the host is removed from inventory, right-click the cluster and click Add Host.
4. Provide the IP address or hostname of the ESXi/ESX host and the root username and password.