topic Re: issue using ConvertTo-NcVmdk in Microsoft Virtualization Discussions

issue using ConvertTo-NcVmdk

xtiva2000 — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:17:32 GMT

We are trying to convert VHDX files into VMDK files using ConvertTo-NcVmdk however getting error converting any size of VHDX files.

Error received

Clone operation failed to start: File restore or LUN clone operation exceeded the block cloning limit (128MB). Maximum block count for clone from AFS is 32768

We are running this from a Windows 2012 R2 with PS version 4.

PowerCli version

PowerCLI Version
----------------
VMware vSphere PowerCLI 5.5 Release 1 build 1295336
---------------
DataOntap version - Manifest 4.1.0 DataONTAP

Hope someone could direct me to slution.

Thanks in advance.

Re: issue using ConvertTo-NcVmdk

Aparajita — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 05:45:22 GMT

Starting with Data ONTAP 8.4 (IIRC), the conversion cmdlets work exclusively on snapshots - PSTK does not support conversion if the source is on AFS.

Could you take a snapshot of your volume and then pass that snasphot name using the -Snapshot parameter? Or pipe the output of New-NcSnapshot to Convert-NcVhdx. That should resolve your issue.

Hope this helps,

Aparajita

Re: issue using ConvertTo-NcVmdk

xtiva2000 — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 02:10:02 GMT

Great that did the trick.

Thanks once again for the informaiton.

Re: issue using ConvertTo-NcVmdk

kritoglu — Thu, 04 May 2017 22:39:02 GMT

Hi Aparajita,

what about OnCommand Shift?

Shift used the following syntax in the background (output from the debug log):

Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock { $secpasswd = ConvertTo-SecureString '********' -AsPlainText -Force;$mycreds = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ('admin' ,$secpasswd);Connect-NcController -Credential $mycreds -Name <IP-ADDRESS> -Vserver <VSERVER>;ConvertTo-NcVhdx -SourceVmdk '/vol/vol1/.snapshot/Shift_vol1/qtreeESX/VM-Directory/VM.vmdk' -FollowParent -DestinationVhdx '/vol/vol1/qtreeHV/VM-Directory/VM.vhdx'}

And this is not working. I got the same error:

operation exceeded the block cloning limit (128MB). Maximum block count for clone from AFS is 32768.

Converting the disk manualy with the following syntax works fine:

ConvertTo-NcVhdx -SourceVmdk '/vol/vol1/qtreeESX/VM-Directory/VM.vmdk' -FollowParent -DestinationVhdx '/vol/vol1/qtreeHV/VM-Directory/VM.vhdx' -SnapshotName Shift_vol1

Do you have any experience with Shift?

If so, is possible to force Shift to use the other syntax?

Thanks in advance,

Anastasios

Re: issue using ConvertTo-NcVmdk

chrislorentzen — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 15:11:00 GMT

Hi,

Has anyone found a solution for this when using OnCommand Shift? I am running v1.2 and am seeing the same issue as Anastasios. If I run the ConvertTo-NcVhdx command manually with the SnapshotName switch it works but it doesn't work when run using the GUI.

Many Thanks,

Chris Lorentzen

@kritoglu wrote:
Hi Aparajita,
what about OnCommand Shift?
Shift used the following syntax in the background (output from the debug log):
Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock { $secpasswd = ConvertTo-SecureString '********' -AsPlainText -Force;$mycreds = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ('admin' ,$secpasswd);Connect-NcController -Credential $mycreds -Name <IP-ADDRESS> -Vserver <VSERVER>;ConvertTo-NcVhdx -SourceVmdk '/vol/vol1/.snapshot/Shift_vol1/qtreeESX/VM-Directory/VM.vmdk' -FollowParent -DestinationVhdx '/vol/vol1/qtreeHV/VM-Directory/VM.vhdx'}
And this is not working. I got the same error:
operation exceeded the block cloning limit (128MB). Maximum block count for clone from AFS is 32768.

Converting the disk manualy with the following syntax works fine:
ConvertTo-NcVhdx -SourceVmdk '/vol/vol1/qtreeESX/VM-Directory/VM.vmdk' -FollowParent -DestinationVhdx '/vol/vol1/qtreeHV/VM-Directory/VM.vhdx' -SnapshotName Shift_vol1

Do you have any experience with Shift?
If so, is possible to force Shift to use the other syntax?

Thanks in advance,
Anastasios

Re: issue using ConvertTo-NcVmdk

kritoglu — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 12:36:37 GMT

Hi Chris,

sorry, that I did not wrote the workaround yet.

I was able to convert VMs with OnCommand Shift. All I had to do, was install OnCommand Shift 1.2D1, were this issue is fixed:

https://mysupport.netapp.com/NOW/download/software/oncommand_shift/1.2D1/

BURTs addressed in OnCommand Shift 1.2D1 
=====================================================
Bug ID     |   Severity   |        Title
985139     |      3       |   Does not support https - Connection refused while connecting to Data Ontap (LB) using Shift
1048104    |      2       |   Question mark character inserted into Invoke-Command output during Hyper-V to ESXi conversion.
1072443    |      2       |   Unable to create SVM - network routing-groups deprecated in ONTAP9
1074205    |      3       |   ConvertTo-NcVhdx failed when shifting w/Ontap 9.1.0

IMPORTENT:

Just upgrading the already installed Shift Server form 1.2 to 1.2D1 was possible, but lead to the same error.

I had to uninstall all the software (Shift, Java, Tomcat) and make a new fresh installation.

Best way is, to install the 1.2D1 on a new fresh server.

Regards, Anastasios

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