Ubuntu 20.04 Template Boot Failure After ACS/VMware Upgrade

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Ubuntu 20.04 Template Boot Failure After ACS/VMware Upgrade

Hey guys, have you ever run into a situation where something that used to work perfectly suddenly goes haywire after an upgrade? Yeah, I've been there, and I'm here to talk about a pretty frustrating issue I've hit with Ubuntu 20.04 templates in a CloudStack (ACS) and VMware environment. Specifically, after upgrading ACS to 4.21 and VMware to 8.0.3, deploying VMs from an Ubuntu 20.04.06 LTS template results in boot failures due to corrupted ext4 filesystem errors. Let's dive into the details, the steps to reproduce, and hopefully, find a solution or a reasonable workaround to get things back on track.

The Problem: Ubuntu 20.04 VMs Stuck at Boot

So, here's the lowdown: Deployment of VMs from Ubuntu 20.04.06 LTS templates has completely stopped working following an upgrade of CloudStack to version 4.21 and VMware to version 8.0.3. When I attempt to deploy a new VM using this template, it gets stuck during the boot process, consistently throwing errors related to a corrupted ext4 filesystem. This is a real head-scratcher, especially when you've got critical infrastructure relying on these templates.

I've tried pretty much everything I could think of. I mean, everything. I've spent countless hours trying different approaches to prepare a new Ubuntu template, messing with disk adapters, fiddling with BIOS/UEFI settings, and various other configurations. I've been through a lot of possible options. Unfortunately, none of those changes made any difference. No matter what I tried, the VMs kept failing to boot. To make things even more perplexing, Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 templates work just fine. This points the finger directly at something specific to Ubuntu 20.04 in the context of the newer ACS and VMware versions.

And here’s the kicker: This error isn't limited to just one environment. I've replicated this issue across multiple production and testing environments, making it a widespread problem. Just to make sure, I even rolled back to an ACS 4.20.1 environment with VMware 8.0.0, and poof, everything worked flawlessly with the Ubuntu 20.04 template. This seems like a clear indication that a regression was introduced with the latest upgrades.

Here’s a snapshot of the error that I'm seeing during the boot process. As you can see, it's pretty clear that something's gone awry with the filesystem.

Troubleshooting Steps and Actions Taken

I've taken a number of steps to attempt to resolve the issue, including recreating templates, checking storage configurations, and analyzing logs. I'll summarize some key actions I took to narrow down the problem. The main issue appeared to be related to file system corruption during the boot process. Given the consistency of this error, it strongly suggests a compatibility problem between Ubuntu 20.04 and the upgraded versions of ACS and VMware.

One thing I made sure to check was the primary storage. The primary storage in my environment uses VMFS datastores on SAN storage. Since storage can often be a source of problems, I thoroughly examined the storage configurations, ensuring there were no underlying issues. The logs provided a key piece of evidence that suggests that file system corruption is a root cause.

The Technical Details: Versions and Environment

To give you a clearer picture, here's a breakdown of the versions I'm working with:

  • ACS: 4.21
  • VMware vCenter: 8.0.3
  • VMware ESXi: 8.0.3
  • Ubuntu: 20.04.06 LTS
  • Storage: VMFS datastores on SAN storage

Reproducing the Bug: Step-by-Step

If you want to see this issue for yourself, here's how you can reproduce it. It’s pretty straightforward. The steps are simple.

  1. Create a Template: Start by creating a template using Ubuntu 20.04.06 LTS.
  2. Deploy a VM: Deploy a new virtual machine from the template you just created.
  3. Observe the Boot: The VM will get stuck at the boot sequence, displaying file system corruption errors, preventing it from completing the boot process.
  4. Potential Mitigation: Even if the VM does somehow manage to start without preconfigured cloud config files, you may still not be able to interact with it properly, like logging in with a username/password. This is because the filesystem corruption damages critical files.

What to Do About It: Seeking Solutions

So, what's the deal? I'm hoping to get this resolved, or at least figure out a decent workaround. Because of the critical nature of this issue, and the impact on the deployed VM, any advice, suggestions, or potential solutions would be immensely appreciated. I'm open to all suggestions.

Here are some of the things that I'm hoping to get answers to:

  • Is this a known issue? Has anyone else experienced this? Knowing if others are in the same boat would be a huge relief.
  • Are there any specific compatibility issues? Are there known conflicts between Ubuntu 20.04.06 LTS and ACS 4.21 or VMware 8.0.3 that might be causing this?
  • Are there any workarounds? If a definitive fix isn't immediately available, are there any temporary solutions that could allow me to deploy Ubuntu 20.04 VMs?
  • How can I troubleshoot this further? Are there additional logs or tests I can run to pinpoint the root cause more effectively?

I've included the management server logs. Perhaps someone with more experience can review these logs and provide insights. Any help or suggestions would be amazing. Thanks for taking the time to read about my problem and potentially offer any advice or suggestions.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you guys. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.