Why Doesn’t Storage vMotion Rename VM Files? (And How to Enable It)

By default, Storage vMotion does not rename a virtual machine’s files when it moves them. If you’ve renamed a VM and expect a Storage vMotion to bring the folder and file names into line, you need to add an advanced setting in vCenter first.

Enable File Renaming in vCenter

1. Go to Administration.
2. Click vCenter Server Settings.
3. Click Advanced Settings.
4. Add the key provisioning.relocate.enableRename with the value true, then click Add.
5. Restart the vCenter service or the vCenter Server.

Storage vMotion will now rename the files during the move again. If your team relies on this behavior, make sure the setting is added on every vCenter you manage.