Fix packer vsphere-iso builder folder path

[sqqqrly]

Overview of the Issue

If one's vSphere uses a "folder of datacenters" rather than just a single data center, the vsphere-iso builder fails. This is due to an assumption that is not met for the full path in the FindFolder function (

packer/builder/vsphere/driver/folder.go

Line 24 in 93d4d63

f, err := d.finder.Folder(d.ctx, fmt.Sprintf("/%v/vm/%v", d.datacenter.Name(), name))

).

There is an older related bug report: jetbrains-infra/packer-builder-vsphere#285

Reproduction Steps

In your vSphere, hosts and clusters tab, use an extra folder:

• vsphere
  • DataCenters <---- breaking folder: unusual, but valid in vSphere
    • cluster1
    • cluster2

Packer version

1.6.0

Simplified Packer Buildfile

Ubuntu Bionic

Hack to work around

diff --git a/builder/vsphere/driver/folder.go b/builder/vsphere/driver/folder.go
index 6349a0e04..96ad215c7 100644
--- a/builder/vsphere/driver/folder.go
+++ b/builder/vsphere/driver/folder.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func (d *Driver) NewFolder(ref *types.ManagedObjectReference) *Folder {
 }

 func (d *Driver) FindFolder(name string) (*Folder, error) {
-       f, err := d.finder.Folder(d.ctx, fmt.Sprintf("/%v/vm/%v", d.datacenter.Name(), name))
+       f, err := d.finder.Folder(d.ctx, fmt.Sprintf("/DataCenters/%v/vm/%v", d.datacenter.Name(), name))
        if err != nil {
                return nil, err
        }

[RPitt]

Thanks for creating this David, does anyone have have any idea what the generalised fix might be?
I guess the code will need to discover the location of the datacenter in the vSphere path schema.

[jhawk28]

What data are you putting into the datacenter field?

[jhawk28]

I'm wondering if we can pull out the VM folder for the datacenter like this:

	folders, err := d.datacenter.Folders(d.ctx)
	if err != nil{
		return nil, err
	}
	folders.VmFolder.String()

[jhawk28]

@sqqqrly please check to see if this fixes your issue. I don't have an environment with multiple data centers.

[TmCTux]

As this fix is now part of the nighty build it was quick to test it as I have a nested infra, and I'm still running on the same issue. Can someone else confirm? Can I be of any help for additional tests?

[jhawk28]

@TmCTux can you post the packer log from your test? it could also be useful to see what https://github.com/vmware/govmomi/blob/master/govc/USAGE.md#folderinfo shows for the vm folder on your datacenter.

[TmCTux]

Hello @jhawk28, thanks for answering. at the root of our vcenter there are regional folder, one is called <Reg_folder> below, then the datacenter <DC_NAME> I'm using vsphere-iso builder as below, "builders": [ { "type": "vsphere-iso", "vcenter_server": "{{user `vsphere_server`}}", "username": "{{user `vsphere_user`}}", "password": "{{user `vsphere_password`}}", "insecure_connection": "true", "datacenter": "{{user `vsphere_dc`}}", "cluster": "{{user `vsphere_cluster`}}", [...] and "vsphere_dc": "<DC_NAME>", Here is the packer output of my test: vsphere-iso: output will be in this color. ==> vsphere-iso: Creating VM... Build 'vsphere-iso' errored: error creating vm: folder '/<DC_NAME>/vm/' not found ==> Some builds didn't complete successfully and had errors: --> vsphere-iso: error creating vm: folder '/<DC_NAME>/vm/' not found ==> Builds finished but no artifacts were created. Here is the folder.info govc folder.info /<Reg_folder>/<DC_NAME>/vm Name: vm Path: /<Reg_folder>/<DC_NAME>/vm Types: Folder,VirtualMachine,VirtualApp Children: 22 For info, <DC_NAME> should in my opinion only hold the name of the datactenter only but I've tested with <Reg_folder>/<DC_NAME> and /<Reg_folder>/<DC_NAME> also, it produced exactly the same output (thus without mentioning the top folder <Reg_folder>. I'm thinking it wouldn't be bad to have a way to specify that top folder somewhere. For info, I'm using terraform to deploy machines then, and it handles that extra top folder fine - and it is specified upfront. Thanks again, let me know if I can be of further help, I'd be glad to.

[jhawk28]

I think this is indicating that the datacenter is being found. I think that I found the difference between packer and terraform. I'll push a fix to test it out.

[jhawk28]

If you want to test the fix: https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/hashicorp/packer/5549/workflows/c28c6870-ec5a-4f54-a180-9abd35c3133c/jobs/58799/artifacts

[TmCTux]

I've tested the fix, it looks a lot better 😃. It still fails but I believe its unrelated - my template is a work in progress, but at least it found the vm folder now! Thanks for the fast answer.

[sqqqrly]

@jhawk28: This does not fix my problem.

╰─➤  git head
49bf9c9d37750281308a78ded64c0d1fa07da18a
╰─➤  packer -v
1.6.1

==> vsphere-iso: Creating VM...
Build 'vsphere-iso' errored: error creating vm: folder '/PSDatacenter/vm/templates' not found

The folder path should be /DataCenters/PSDatacenter/vm/templates.

[jhawk28]

@sqqqrly I don't think #9390 has been merged in yet. Can you build from the bug_8766 branch? Or use an artifact from the pull request: https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/hashicorp/packer/5549/workflows/c28c6870-ec5a-4f54-a180-9abd35c3133c/jobs/58799/artifacts

[sqqqrly]

@jhawk28 OK. This works but seems a little strange.

To make it work I needed "folder": "vm/templates"

If I just use "folder": "templates", I get an error: Build 'vsphere-iso' errored: error creating vm: folder '/DataCenters/PSDatacenter/vm/templates' not found.

The path that is not found is what I expect to be the correct path. How come?

╰─➤  git head
f5a795a22e4236058214ed16d8d75cb31fcbb8d6

[jhawk28]

@sqqqrly try using a folder that already exists

[ghost]

I'm going to lock this issue because it has been closed for 30 days ⏳. This helps our maintainers find and focus on the active issues.

If you have found a problem that seems similar to this, please open a new issue and complete the issue template so we can capture all the details necessary to investigate further.