Virtual Machine desappeared after a reinstall of XenServer

[Pascal Schait]

I used XenServer 7.5 and got Kernel panic. I didn't solve this problem and decided to perform the upgrade to 7.6. Upgrade was not possible because the wizard backup failed. Didn't solve this either and decided to perform a clean install of 7.6 over 7.5 following the article " How to Reinstall a XenServer Host and Preserve Virtual Machines on the Local Storage" located here: https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX136342

 

It has worked but the VM has desappeared and I dont know how to get it back in XenCenter:

 

My situation is:

 

[root@xenserver ~]# xe vm-list

uuid ( RO)           : 288fab6f-80c4-4a92-81f9-3cb1808f2761
     name-label ( RW): Control domain on host: xenserver
    power-state ( RO): running
 

[root@xenserver ~]# xe sr-list

uuid ( RO)                : 13de798f-e120-72b3-b04c-4ad780021582
          name-label ( RW): Removable storage
    name-description ( RW):
                host ( RO): xenserver
                type ( RO): udev
        content-type ( RO): disk

uuid ( RO)                : 492a78c0-bc10-745a-fe16-7e21ea42d2ea
          name-label ( RW): XenServer Tools
    name-description ( RW): XenServer Tools ISOs
                host ( RO): xenserver
                type ( RO): iso
        content-type ( RO): iso

uuid ( RO)                : 23ce4203-76e4-e316-2b03-6c2ec4778c6a
          name-label ( RW): DVD drives
    name-description ( RW): Physical DVD drives
                host ( RO): xenserver
                type ( RO): udev
        content-type ( RO): iso

uuid ( RO)                : 7f057968-70fa-38e6-a65d-11142c2e4f4b
          name-label ( RW): Local storage
    name-description ( RW):
                host ( RO): xenserver
                type ( RO): lvm
        content-type ( RO): user

 

[root@xenserver ~]# xe vdi-list

uuid ( RO)                : 3d6a771b-0e13-4fa6-a428-04254b7bd592
          name-label ( RW): XenCenter.iso
    name-description ( RW):
             sr-uuid ( RO): 492a78c0-bc10-745a-fe16-7e21ea42d2ea
        virtual-size ( RO): 46180352
            sharable ( RO): false
           read-only ( RO): true

uuid ( RO)                : 03b4d378-d732-461c-8fa5-99fc6061f891
          name-label ( RW): Debian Stretch 9.0 0
    name-description ( RW): Created by template provisioner
             sr-uuid ( RO): 7f057968-70fa-38e6-a65d-11142c2e4f4b
        virtual-size ( RO): 644245094400
            sharable ( RO): false
           read-only ( RO): false

uuid ( RO)                : f9c366f7-a1c2-4580-acff-340ba24c9981
          name-label ( RW): SCSI 4:0:0:0
    name-description ( RW): Samsung model M3 Portable rev 1301 type 0
             sr-uuid ( RO): 13de798f-e120-72b3-b04c-4ad780021582
        virtual-size ( RO): 1000204886016
            sharable ( RO): false
           read-only ( RO): false

uuid ( RO)                : 34f80851-651a-4387-bf85-c3ad4f44e73a
          name-label ( RW): SCSI 5:0:0:0
    name-description ( RW): ST4000DM model 004-2CV104 rev 0102 type 0
             sr-uuid ( RO): 13de798f-e120-72b3-b04c-4ad780021582
        virtual-size ( RO): 4000787030016
            sharable ( RO): false
           read-only ( RO): false

uuid ( RO)                : b4c78e67-cd14-44e2-ba50-397a4c69a42e
          name-label ( RW): guest-tools.iso
    name-description ( RW):
             sr-uuid ( RO): 492a78c0-bc10-745a-fe16-7e21ea42d2ea
        virtual-size ( RO): 71335936
            sharable ( RO): false
           read-only ( RO): true

uuid ( RO)                : 646ff503-65e3-48d7-9d08-6f67217f0abe
          name-label ( RW): SCSI 3:0:0:0
    name-description ( RW): WD model My Passport 25E2 rev 4005 type 0
             sr-uuid ( RO): 13de798f-e120-72b3-b04c-4ad780021582
        virtual-size ( RO): 4000752599040
            sharable ( RO): false
           read-only ( RO): false

uuid ( RO)                : d84899cc-2fe1-4c9d-8e74-660ca1ca7712
          name-label ( RW): SCSI 6:0:0:0
    name-description ( RW): Generic model STORAGE DEVICE rev 9451 type 0
             sr-uuid ( RO): 13de798f-e120-72b3-b04c-4ad780021582
        virtual-size ( RO): 0
            sharable ( RO): false
           read-only ( RO): false

 

My question is:

 

What I need to type as xe command to see again the VM in XenCenter?

PS.: of course I dont have any XenServer backup.

PS2.: I was thinking that this command was the solution, but honestly I haven't enough knowledge to complete it:

xe vbd-create vdi-uuid=<UUID of VDI> vm-uuid=<UUID of new VM> type=Disk device=xvda bootable=true mode=rw

 

Anybody could help me?

 

Thanks in advance.

Rgds.

[Alan Lantz]

Sounds like you just need to create a new VM diskless and when its created then attach this storage vdi to it.

If you don't have metadata you can't restore the VM, just the disk that you have fortunately preserved.

 

--Alan--

 

 

[Pascal Schait]

Thank you Alan,

yes I tried to create a VM diskless using XenCenter, selecting in the wizard "boot from network", which than has the option "Create a diskless VM that boots from the network" but I cannot since the creation wizard shows always "The specified storage repository has insufficient space".

 

The default repository shown in the VM creation wizard is greyed out (xenserver 13.8 GB RAM available (15.9 total)):

 

Any other idea? (i.e. create a diskless VM using CLI?)

Thx a lot.

Pas

[Alan Lantz]

Strange you can't even with the SR showing insufficient space. But that does bring up the question,

why is your SR showing that ? Do you think its corrupted somehow ? 

 

--Alan--

 

[Pascal Schait]

I think an incorrect setting during my test to try to create the VM.

Another info: "insufficient space" is shown only using the template "Debian Stretch 9.0". Using another template I can create the VM (I created using the template "Debian Kessie 8.0.

Once created I go to "Storage -> Attach Disk" but the attach button is greyed out.

Any idea?

[Alan Lantz]

Its hopefully greyed out because its in use, go to your SR and under the storage tab is if the control domain is attaached to your disk.

if no you need to remove/destroy the VBD. The insufficient space may have caused that.

 

--Alan--

 

[Pascal Schait]

Thank you Alan, could you please elaborate a bit? I'm  newbee.

Here the VBD. It appears I've two identical VM (maybe a consequence of my previous tests):

 

[root@xenserver ~]# xe vbd-list

uuid ( RO)             : 079673dd-ed1a-c148-9573-3d99e8ffde00
          vm-uuid ( RO): 381ebb02-96d5-11e7-92b9-b8ca3a97c5fc
    vm-name-label ( RO): Debian Stretch 9.0
         vdi-uuid ( RO): 03b4d378-d732-461c-8fa5-99fc6061f891
            empty ( RO): false
           device ( RO):

uuid ( RO)             : 863ebafb-722f-5ea4-1279-9fda09024821
          vm-uuid ( RO): 381ebb02-96d5-11e7-92b9-b8ca3a97c5fc
    vm-name-label ( RO): Debian Stretch 9.0
         vdi-uuid ( RO): 03b4d378-d732-461c-8fa5-99fc6061f891
            empty ( RO): false
           device ( RO):

 

How do I remove one and which one?

 

Also no VBD is attached to the domain:

 

[root@xenserver ~]# list_domains

id |                                 uuid |  state
 0 | 288fab6f-80c4-4a92-81f9-3cb1808f2761 |     R
[root@xenserver ~]# xe vbd-list vm-uuid=288fab6f-80c4-4a92-81f9-3cb1808f2761
[root@xenserver ~]#
 

Thank you again for taking care.

[Alan Lantz]

Do a xe vbd-list vm-uuid=288fab6f-80c4-4a92-81f9-3cb1808f2761 

 

If you get any return then you need to unplug/destroy the VBD.

 

--Alan--

 

[Pascal Schait]

Thx. No I dont have a return.

[Pascal Schait]

Another info which could help troubleshoot.

I remember when I followed the article "How to Reinstall a XenServer Host and Preserve Virtual Machines on the Local Storage" I used xe pbd-create to sdax then I repeted the same and created with xe pbd-create to sdb since the first was not the solution. So I think I need to remove now the first created pbd. See:

[Alan Lantz]

Remove VBD's command line or just doing a detach drive from the VM is the same thing.

 

--Alan--

 

[Pascal Schait]

Thx Alan, very helpful.

I needed to destroy both VBDs from CLI.

Than I was able to create the diskless VM.

Case closed :-)

[Alan Lantz]

Awesome, good to hear.

 

--Alan--