Export OVF fails with "File not found" error

Question

Good morning/afternoon/evening all:

I am having an issue with a single Virtual machine when it comes to exporting an OVA/OVF. I recieve a "File not found" error that appears to be pointing in the wrong directory...My process is

• Clone Live virtual machine
• Export OVA/OVF of the Cloned Machine

I have had no issue cloning 8 different Virtual Machines this way and exporting the data. I am only experiencing this issue with a single VM and I cannot figure out where the issue lies. Exact steps are below with work-arounds that I have tried.

Virtual machine name = RHEL_TEST_SERVER

Cloned VM Name = tmp_test_server

• Clone virtual Machine
• export OVF/OVA of the cloned VM

• I receive an error immediately after I hit "OK" on the Export OVF Template screen. The error states:

  File ds:///vmfs/volumes/5876b9586-hf756475-c8193846734/RHEL_TEST_SERVER/[] was not found

It appears that when I Clone the OVA, it is setting ide1 (inside of tmp_test_server.vmx) to

ide1:0.fileName = ":///vmfs/volumes/5876b9586-hf756475-c8193846734/RHEL_TEST_SERVER/[]"

which I believe to be incorrect. It should be pointing to itself? I ssh into the ESXI/Linux server and navigate to that specific directory.

Even after I modify this file to point to itself, I still receive the same error of "File not found" (exact error as above). I cannot figure out why this is not working for this single Virtual Machine clone.

To answer the obvious question

• yes I have deleted and re-cloned the virtual machine countless times (same error everytime)

Linux environment completely, and I have full access to see all files. If someone could please enlighten me on what the possible issue is and how I can fix it, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Solution 1

Please check there must be a ISO attached with the VM. Remove the ISO file and try exporting the OVF again.

Solution 2

to export into OVF file , firstly choose use physicaldrive's connection instead use iso image file, after you click on OK. enter image description here it works

Solution 3

On facing the same issue when converting a VM for VMWare to ovf format, i was able to resolve it. The host running the OVF Tool is MacBook Pro 15 with macOS Mojave.

Below are the steps

Open the .vmx file in a editor (e.g. Atom). Find the missing file from the error

sata0:1.fileName = [path of the missing file]

In the same section locate

sata0:1.present = "TRUE"

change this to

sata0:1.present = "FALSE"

Now when the tool is run, it will not go looking for the iso image. This should enable the tool to run successfully.

NOTE: for me, I have received the VM without the ISO image, another options that might just work if the ISO image is a must

• Copying the ISO image along with VM
• Try running the tool, but I doubt it will work, as the file might not be in the same location.
• In that case, perform the above steps, and then mount the VM once the export is done

Solution 4

As a workaround,

1. Logon with WinSCP
2. Copy vmdk files under /vmfs/volumes/<ID>/.

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Comments

[Nils]

I think you are right. Please be a little bit more verbose in you answer - explain why you think so, so others can benefit from your knowledge.

[IT_User]

Hard to look back 3 years but I believe this was ultimately the issue. Thank you! And sorry it took so long to accept the answer!