Create VM fail optional value is mandatory

[danilo-patrucco-sev1tech]

Describe the bug

This is the command I'm sending to run the create_vm.py function

python3 create_vm.py -s vcenter.address.something -u my_svc_account -p 'my-svc-account-pass' -v test --datacenter-name 'dc-01' --datastore-name 'ds-11' --esx-ip {ip of vcenter}

and this is the error I'm getting in output :

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "create_vm.py", line 79, in <module>
    main()
  File "create_vm.py", line 74, in main
    create_vm(si, args.vm_name, args.datacenter_name, args.esx_ip, args.datastore_name)
  File "create_vm.py", line 31, in create_vm
    destination_host = pchelper.get_obj(content, [vim.HostSystem], host_ip)
  File "/home/timpo/pyvmomi-community-samples/samples/tools/pchelper.py", line 157, in get_obj
    raise RuntimeError("Managed Object " + name + " not found.")
RuntimeError: Managed Object {ip of vcenter} not found.

The esxi-ip I found using nslookup on the vcenter address. I believe this may be the problem, but from what I can see the esxi ip is not mandatory information, and when I keep it out it returns the same error but there is nothing between "managed object" and "not found".

Reproduction steps

1. run the clone_vm using a service account with the following rights:

Alarms
Acknowledge alarm
Set alarm status
Datastore
Allocate space
Browse datastore
Low level file operations
Remove file
Update virtual machine files
Update virtual machine metadata
External stats provider
Register
Unregister
Update
Folder
Create folder
Delete folder
Move folder
Rename folder
Host
CIM
CIM interaction
Configuration
System Management
vSphere Tagging
Assign or Unassign vSphere Tag on Object
Network
Assign network
Configure
Performance
Modify intervals
Resource
Assign virtual machine to resource pool
Sessions
Validate session
View and stop sessions
Profile-driven storage
Profile-driven storage view
Storage views
Configure service
View
Tasks
Create task
Update task
Transfer service
Manage
Monitor
vApp
Import
Virtual machine
Change Configuration
Acquire disk lease
Add existing disk
Add new disk
Add or remove device
Advanced configuration
Change CPU count
Change Memory
Change Settings
Change Swapfile placement
Change resource
Configure Host USB device
Configure Raw device
Configure managedBy
Display connection settings
Extend virtual disk
Modify device settings
Query Fault Tolerance compatibility
Query unowned files
Reload from path
Remove disk
Rename
Reset guest information
Set annotation
Toggle disk change tracking
Toggle fork parent
Upgrade virtual machine compatibility
Edit Inventory
	Create from existing
	Create new
	Move
	Register
	Remove
	Unregister
Guest operations
Guest operation alias modification
Guest operation alias query
Guest operation modifications
Guest operation program execution
Guest operation queries
Interaction
Answer question
Backup operation on virtual machine
Configure CD media
Configure floppy media
Connect devices
Console interaction
Create screenshot
Defragment all disks
Drag and drop
Guest operating system management by VIX API
Inject USB HID scan codes
Install VMware Tools
Pause or Unpause
Perform wipe or shrink operations
Power off
Power on
Record session on virtual machine
Replay session on virtual machine
Reset
Resume Fault Tolerance
Suspend
Suspend Fault Tolerance
Test failover
Test restart Secondary VM
Provisioning
Allow disk access
Allow file access
Allow read-only disk access
Allow virtual machine download
Allow virtual machine files upload
Clone template
Clone virtual machine
Create template from virtual machine
Customize guest
Deploy template
Mark as template
Mark as virtual machine
Modify customization specification
Promote disks
Read customization specifications
Service configuration
Allow notifications
Allow polling of global event notifications
Manage service configurations
Modify service configuration
Query service configurations
Read service configuration
Snapshot management
Create snapshot
Remove snapshot
Rename snapshot
Revert to snapshot

3. run the command python3 create_vm.py -s vcenter.address.something -u my_svc_account -p 'my-svc-account-pass' -v test --datacenter-name 'dc-01' --datastore-name 'ds-11' --esx-ip {ip of vcenter}, to find the esx-ip nslookup the URL for center or leave it empty

Expected behavior

Create a VM but it fail to start it because a value is wrong or empty

Additional context

No response

[prziborowski]

I think the --esx-ip parameter is a bit of a misnomer. Based on the fault line:

  File "create_vm.py", line 31, in create_vm
    destination_host = pchelper.get_obj(content, [vim.HostSystem], host_ip)

it is trying to find a host that has the name with the esx-ip. If your hosts are added with the host name, or qualified domain name (e.g. esx1, or esx1.example.com), then you should use that name as the argument.

The sample could have been better/cooler if it leveraged another method:

si.content.searchIndex.FindByIp(dc, hostIp, False)

but alas, it did not and should have been clearer of what the parameter is expecting.

[rahulonmars]

It definitely does not use IP address, as @prziborowski said, it takes the fqdn, I used localhost.localdomain in my case.