Question : VMware, vSphere Virtual Machine and Disk Errors "invalid disk type 7" and "cannot detect guest operating system type"

Hello,

Getting packetfence-zen loaded onto an ESXi server.  

Have vsphere client connected to the server and am able to create virutal machines no problem.  

I've downloaded the packetfence-ZEN (zero effort NAC) Zip and extracted it.  Ive transfered all the files in the zip to the datastore using the "browse datastore" feature in vSphere.  All is in place. Here is a list of those files:


PacketFence-ZEN-1.8.nvram     -9kb
PacketFence-ZEN-1.8.vmkd      -2.8gb     VMware Virtual Disk
PacketFence-ZEN-1.8.vmem      -524mb
PacketFence-ZEN-1.8.vmsd       -0kb
PacketFence-ZEN-1.8.vmss      -373kb
PacketFence-ZEN-1.8.vmx     -3kb
PacketFence-ZEN-1.8.vmxf      -1kb
vmware.log

Id imagine that it should be as simple as importing the vmx file, which is the configuration file for a virtual machine.  And it is that easy, but once loaded the virtual machine comes up as "unknown vm".  I cant edit the settings, start the machine -nothing.  

So i created a new virtual machine and built it according the the specs noted in packetfences documention on their website (http://www.packetfence.org/en/download/documentation.html).  Load the vmdk all looks good -->click start machine --->ERROR

1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7:

Power On virtual machine PF Failed to open disk scsi0:0: Unsupported and/or invalid disk type 7. Did you forget to import the disk first ?Unable to create virtual SCSI device for scsi0:0, '/vmfs/vol- umes/4bfbf-ede-4c261-9be-ab2e-0-0137225d6-c6/PacketF-ence/Packe-tFence-ZEN-1.8-s001.v-mdk' Module DevicePowe-On power on failed. View details... root 6/2/2010 11:07:16 AM 6/2/2010 11:07:16 AM 6/2/2010 11:07:17 AM

So i did some research and discovered that could be causing the problem is the virtual disk needs to be converted into the OVF "appliance" format.  Downloaded VMware Converter --> import machine --> choose "standalone virtual machine, backup or disk image" ---> browse for Source VM or Image --> Only shows the .VMX file --> "connecting,,,, retrieving....determining ...ERROR"  "UNABLE TO DETERMINE GUEST OPERATING SYSTEM"

See Log Info: Attached file name "vmware-converter-0.log"

Where am I now? --- I read on another thread somewhere out there, that the accepted answer is that the VMKD is corrupted...  So im re-downloading packetfence-zen as we speak.  Im only entertaining the "re-download packetfence-zen" idea because i have moved the files between 3 servers to get them to the actual ESXi server... sooo its possible


PLEASE HELP ME!  Thanks in advance.

Attachments:

vmware-converter-0.log (41 KB) (File Type Details) 

vmware-converter log

Answer : VMware, vSphere Virtual Machine and Disk Errors "invalid disk type 7" and "cannot detect guest operating system type"

What version of ESXi?

It may also be a Windows version Virtual machine.  In that case download VMware Converter and convert the Windows virtual machine to the ESXi host's version