Recover Vmfs Metadata _hot_ -

Without valid metadata, a datastore appears as a raw partition, empty, or reports the dreaded "Not a VMFS datastore" error. However, the actual virtual machine data (VMDK files, memory state, logs) often remains physically present on the disk. Recovering the metadata is therefore less about file “undelete” and more about reconstructing the logical map that points to existing data blocks.

Expected output from vmfs-fs-probe if metadata intact: recover vmfs metadata

vmfs-fs-rescue /vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6000...:1 This creates a lost+found directory with recoverable files. It does not preserve original folder structure but may recover VMDK and VMX files. VMFS does not have an fsck like ext4. Instead, VMware relies on journal replay on mount. To force replay: Without valid metadata, a datastore appears as a

VMFS version: 6.81 Volume UUID: 4a5b3c2d-... Number of heartbeats: 3 If it fails with No VMFS filesystem found , metadata is corrupt or missing. Use dd and hdparm to check if basic partition table is readable: Instead, VMware relies on journal replay on mount

dd if=/vmfs/devices/disks/naa.6000... bs=512 count=1 | hexdump -C Look for “VMFS” ASCII signature at offset 0x200. If present but higher-level structures corrupt, recovery is possible. Recovery options depend on whether you have backups, ESXi’s built-in repair utilities, or need third-party tools. 3.1 First Line: ESXi Built-in Commands A. vmfs-fs-rescue (VMFS3/5 only – deprecated in newer versions) For older environments, this utility attempts to rebuild the FDC table from residual metadata.