Resolving VM Restore Issues with Instant Access and esx_splitter Error

Customer restored one VM to a different VC using Instant Access. IA job completed successfully, but we failed to start the new VM.

• Error message:
  • Module DevicePowerOn power on failed.
  • Unable to create virtual SCSI device for scsi0:0, ‘/vmfs/volumes/xxxxxxx.vmdk’
  • Failed to attach filter ‘esx_splitter ‘ to scsi0:0: Not found (195887107).

The VM restore issue is caused by a specific condition where the source VM is restored to a different Virtual Center (VC) using Instant Access (IA). The IA job completes successfully, but the new VM fails to start due to a virtual SCSI device creation failure.

• The error message indicates a failure to create a virtual SCSI device for the specified VMDK file, resulting in a 'Module DevicePowerOn power on failed' error.
• The error message also mentions an inability to attach the "esx_splitter" filter to the SCSI device, with a "Not found (195887107)" error code.
• The issue occurs when restoring a VM from a RP4VM-protected ESXi host to another ESXi host that is not protected by RP4VM.
• The presence of the "esx_splitter" filter, installed by RP4VM, is a key factor in the failure to start the new VM.
• The source VM is fine. And the source, target VC, and ESXi host versions are consistent.
• Removing the existing SCSI device and re-adding it resolves the issue, indicating a configuration-related problem.

The resolution to the VM restore issue removing the SCSI device from the virtual machine settings or commenting out the lines containing 'esx_splitter' in the .vmx file

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Remove SCSI Device from Virtual Machine Settings:
   1. Go to the virtual machine settings in the vCenter Server.
   2. Click the Hardware tab.
   3. Scroll down to the SCSI Controller section.
   4. Click the Remove button next to the SCSI device.
   5. Confirm that you want to remove the device.
2. Comment out 'esx_splitter' in the .vmx file:
   1. Open the .vmx file in a text editor.
   2. Search for the lines containing 'esx_splitter'.
   3. Comment out these lines by adding a '#' symbol at the beginning of each line.
   4. Save the changes to the .vmx file.

Verifying the Issue is Resolved

After removing the SCSI device or commenting out 'esx_splitter' in the .vmx file, try to power on the virtual machine again.

If the virtual machine powers on successfully, the issue is resolved.

Tools and Resources

You can use the vSphere Client to manage the virtual machine settings and the .vmx file.

For more information about the 'esx_splitter' issue, see the KB article: Deployment KB: Unable to power on the VM on ESXi host in the CR Vault

Warning