HCI - Start operation failed

Hi there,

after a power problem on both nodes, some VMs of my HCI won't power on, when I click on Power on button it appears this message:

<vm_name> Start operation failed. Image file of virtual disk (1) can not be accessed. Please check storage networking and disk status.

HCI version is 6.9.1, is there anything that I can do or I have to wait a reply from support?

Thanks to everybody that will help me.

Cesare

Try to verify the storage networking configuration to ensure proper connectivity and then check the disk status to see if there are any errors or inconsistencies. If possible, attempt to manually repair the virtual disk files or restore from backups if available.

Hi,

When there is issue related with storage / disk i allways advise to contact direct support, because these types of problems are very serious and can happen again in the future. At this level we must always have the greatest confidence in the system.

Please contact Sangfor TAC team, they can assist you in sorting out this issue.

Please await the prompt and reliable assistance of the dedicated Sangfor Support team to address your specific needs regarding intricate backend operations.

If the VM status is abnormal, or unable to shutdown/power off the VM from VDC, go to VMP console and check the VDI agent on the VM.

Hi, in order to troubleshooting steps for the issue related to the inaccessible virtual disk associated with the VM please follow this steps:

Check Storage Health:
Log in to your Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) management interface.
Navigate to the storage section.
Verify if the storage pool containing the VM’s virtual disk is online and healthy. If not, address any issues with the storage pool first.

Rescan Storage:
Look for options related to storage scanning within the HCI management interface.
Initiate a rescan of the storage pool where the inaccessible virtual disk resides.

Verify VM Configuration:
Access the VM configuration for the affected virtual machine.
Ensure that the path to the virtual disk is accurate and correctly points to the intended location.

Restart Management Services:
Sometimes restarting the HCI management services can resolve issues caused by power problems.
Refer to the specific documentation for best practices and the recommended procedure to restart the management services.

Hi,

The error message might indicate that the virtual disk associated with the VM you are  trying to power ON is not accessible. This might be due to some reason causing the power problem on your HCI nodes. You may try the below guides for initial troubleshooting:

1. Check Storage health
   - login to your HCI management interface and go to the storage section
   - check if he storage pool containing the VM's virtual disk is online and healthy. If not, you need to resolve that issues first

2. Rescan storage
   - locate options related to storage scanning within the HCI management interface
   - proceed with the rescan of the storage pool where the inaccessible virtual disk resides

3. Check VM configuration
   - go to the VM configuration for the affected VM
   - make sure that the path to the virtual disk is correct and pointing to the correct location

4. Restart Management Services
   - Sometimes restarting the HCI management services might resolve the issue caused by the power problem
   - check the specific documentation for the best practices and recommended procedure to restart the management services

5. If none of the above steps help you resolve the issue, it is best to contact and reach out to Sangfor support for further assistance and immediate resolution of this issue

The error message "Start operation failed. Image file of virtual disk (1) cannot be accessed" indicates that the Sangfor HCI is unable to locate the virtual disk file required to power on the affected VMs. This situation likely arises due to the power problem impacting the storage network or the virtual disk itself.

Here are some immediate troubleshooting steps you can attempt before waiting for support:

1. Check SAN Connectivity:

    Verify if the storage area network (SAN) is functioning correctly. This involves ensuring proper connectivity between the HCI nodes and the storage devices.
    Use the Sangfor HCI management console to check the health status of the SAN and storage pool.

2. Inspect Virtual Disk Status:

    Access the Sangfor HCI management console and navigate to the storage section.
    Locate the specific virtual disk (disk 1) mentioned in the error message and check its status.
    Look for any errors or inconsistencies reported for the virtual disk.

3. Restart Sangfor HCI Services:

    In some cases, restarting the Sangfor HCI services can help resolve temporary glitches that might prevent VM startup.
    Refer to the Sangfor HCI documentation (https://www.sangfor.com/downloads/sangfor-hci-user-manual) for the specific procedure to restart the required services.

Important Note:

    Data Recovery Procedures: While attempting these initial steps, avoid making any modifications to the virtual disk or storage configuration unless explicitly instructed by Sangfor support. Data recovery procedures might be necessary if the issue persists.

Hi Aiman,

yes I did and everything was ok.

I had to contact support, it was a consistency file problem they connected with my server and rebuilt the VMs through command line.