--- title: "Reregister VMs in a new PCC" description: "Find out how to reregister VMs on a new service from old datastores" url: https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/vmware-register-vmx lang: en lastUpdated: 2021-03-24 --- # Reregister VMs in a new PCC ## Objective Following an incident, some virtual machines may no longer appear in your vSphere inventory, but all files are still present in the datastores. **This guide explains how to reregister VMs from a datastore in your vSphere inventory.** ## Requirements - Being an administrative contact of your [Hosted Private Cloud infrastructure](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/enterprise/products/hosted-private-cloud/) to receive login credentials - A user account with access to vSphere (created in the OVHcloud Control Panel) ## Instructions In your [vSphere interface](/en/guides/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/vsphere-interface-connexion.md) , go to the `Storage ` view. ![storage view](/images/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/vmware-register-vmx/register-vmx-01.png) Select a datastore from the list. ![select datastore](/images/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/vmware-register-vmx/register-vmx-02.png) In the folders for this datastore, select the `.vmx` file and click `Register VM `. ![reregister VM](/images/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/vmware-register-vmx/register-vmx-03.png) Fill in the information required, then click `Finish `. ![enregistrer VM](/images/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/vmware-register-vmx/register-vmx-04.png) You will need to repeat these same operations for each datastore, and for each VM that needs to be reregistered. Check the settings of your VMs (name, [portgroup](/en/guides/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/create-vlan.md) , etc...) by right-clicking on each one and then selecting `Edit Settings `. ![change](/images/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/vmware-register-vmx/register-vmx-06.png) In the event of a configuration error, an error message will be displayed when you restart the VM. You can reactivate a VM by right-clicking on it, then clicking `Power On `. ![enregistrer VM](/images/hosted-private-cloud/powered-by-vmware/vmware-register-vmx/register-vmx-05.png) ### Automation In case you have more than a few VMs and/or datastores, it is possible to automate the process by using scripts to browse the datastores and register their VMs. #### With PowerCLI VMware provides PowerCLI for VMware administrators using PowerShell. Refer to the VMware guide to [install PowerCLI](https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/com.vmware.vsphere.install.doc/GUID-F02D0C2D-B226-4908-9E5C-2E783D41FE2D.html) . Once installed, you can use the following PS script, written by [LucD](https://www.lucd.info/2009/12/02/raiders-of-the-lost-vmx/): ```powershell function register-vmxX { param($entityName = $null,$dsNames = $null,$template = $false,$ignore = $null,$checkNFS = $true,$whatif=$false) function Get-Usage{ Write-Host "Parameters incorrect" -ForegroundColor red Write-Host "register-vmxX -entityName -dsNames [,...]" Write-Host "entityName : a cluster-, datacenter or ESX hostname (not together with -dsNames)" Write-Host "dsNames : one or more datastorename names (not together with -entityName)" Write-Host "ignore : names of folders that shouldn't be checked" Write-Host "template : register guests ($false)or templates ($true) - default : $false" Write-Host "checkNFS : include NFS datastores - default : $true" Write-Host "whatif : when $true will only list and not execute - default : $false" } if(($entityName -ne $null -and $dsNames -ne $null) -or ($entityName -eq $null -and $dsNames -eq $null)){ Get-Usage break } if($dsNames -eq $null){ switch((Get-Inventory -Name $entityName).GetType().Name.Replace("Wrapper","")){ "Cluster"{ $dsNames = Get-Cluster -Name $entityName | Get-VMHost | Get-Datastore | where {$_.Type -eq "VMFS" -or $checkNFS} | % {$_.Name} } "Datacenter"{ $dsNames = Get-Datacenter -Name $entityName | Get-Datastore | where {$_.Type -eq "VMFS" -or $checkNFS} | % {$_.Name} } "VMHost"{ $dsNames = Get-VMHost -Name $entityName | Get-Datastore | where {$_.Type -eq "VMFS" -or $checkNFS} | % {$_.Name} } Default{ Get-Usage exit } } } else{ $dsNames = Get-Datastore -Name $dsNames | where {$_.Type -eq "VMFS" -or $checkNFS} | Select -Unique | % {$_.Name} } $dsNames = $dsNames | Sort-Object $pattern = "*.vmx" if($template){ $pattern = "*.vmtx" } foreach($dsName in $dsNames){ Write-Host "Checking " -NoNewline; Write-Host -ForegroundColor red -BackgroundColor yellow $dsName $ds = Get-Datastore $dsName | Select -Unique | Get-View $dsBrowser = Get-View $ds.Browser $dc = Get-View $ds.Parent while($dc.MoRef.Type -ne "Datacenter"){ $dc = Get-View $dc.Parent } $tgtfolder = Get-View $dc.VmFolder $esx = Get-View $ds.Host[0].Key $pool = Get-View (Get-View $esx.Parent).ResourcePool $vms = @() foreach($vmImpl in $ds.Vm){ $vm = Get-View $vmImpl $vms += $vm.Config.Files.VmPathName } $datastorepath = "[" + $ds.Name + "]" $searchspec = New-Object VMware.Vim.HostDatastoreBrowserSearchSpec $searchspec.MatchPattern = $pattern $taskMoRef = $dsBrowser.SearchDatastoreSubFolders_Task($datastorePath, $searchSpec) $task = Get-View $taskMoRef while ("running","queued" -contains $task.Info.State){ $task.UpdateViewData("Info.State") } $task.UpdateViewData("Info.Result") foreach ($folder in $task.Info.Result){ if(!($ignore -and (&{$res = $false; $folder.FolderPath.Split("]")[1].Trim(" /").Split("/") | %{$res = $res -or ($ignore -contains $_)}; $res}))){ $found = $FALSE if($folder.file -ne $null){ foreach($vmx in $vms){ if(($folder.FolderPath + $folder.File[0].Path) -eq $vmx){ $found = $TRUE } } if (-not $found){ if($folder.FolderPath[-1] -ne "/"){$folder.FolderPath += "/"} $vmx = $folder.FolderPath + $folder.File[0].Path if($template){ $params = @($vmx,$null,$true,$null,$esx.MoRef) } else{ $params = @($vmx,$null,$false,$pool.MoRef,$null) } if(!$whatif){ $taskMoRef = $tgtfolder.GetType().GetMethod("RegisterVM_Task").Invoke($tgtfolder, $params) Write-Host "`t" $vmx "registered" } else{ Write-Host "`t" $vmx "registered" -NoNewline; Write-Host -ForegroundColor blue -BackgroundColor white " ==> What If" } } } } } Write-Host "Done" } } ``` After loading the script in your environment, you can use it as follows: ```powershell register-vmxX -entityName "pcc-192-0-2-1_datacenter1337" register-vmxX -dsNames "ssd-012345","pcc-012345" register-vmxX -dsNames "ssd-012345","pcc-012345" -template:$true register-vmxX -entityName "pcc-192-0-2-1_datacenter1337" -ignore "upload-vpn" register-vmxX -dsNames "ssd-012345","pcc-012345" -ignore "upload-vpn" -checkNFS:$true register-vmxX -entityName "pcc-192-0-2-1_datacenter1337" -whatif:$true ``` :::info The code section above has been adapted to OVHcloud VMware environments. NFS datastores are enabled by default. ::: ## Go further Join our community of users on [https://community.ovh.com/en/](https://community.ovh.com/en/).