Identifying metadata inconsistencies in VMFS3, VMFS5, and VMFS6 datastores.
When a datastore appears as "unmounted" or "corrupt" due to lost write ordering or snapshot issues: vmfs repair tools
The suite contains several specific binaries designed for repair and extraction: For minor metadata inconsistencies
Before using any repair tool, avoid these common mistakes: Identifying metadata inconsistencies in VMFS3
VMFS (Virtual Machine File System) is a file system used by VMware ESXi to store virtual machines. If you're experiencing issues with a VMFS datastore, here are some repair tools that might be helpful:
VMFS repair requires a tiered approach. For minor metadata inconsistencies, native ESXi vmkfstools are sufficient. For logical corruption preventing mount operations, the open-source vmfs-tools suite provides the necessary extraction capabilities. In catastrophic failure scenarios, commercial software should be engaged to minimize downtime and maximize data retrieval.