If you have SQL local make sure it is running. Make sure the license server service is running. Anything in the event logs?

SQL is running on another Server in the network.
License server is running locally.

Event log:
The description for Event ID ( 1000 ) in Source ( VMware VirtualCenter Server ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: Starting VMware VirtualCenter 2.0.1 build-32042.

This is from the vpxd.log file, not sure if it would help.

Log for VMware VirtualCenter, pid=2572, version=2.0.1, build=build-32042, option=Release, section=2
[2007-05-03 12:18:15.965 'App' 1484 info] Current working directory: C:\WINDOWS\system32
[2007-05-03 12:18:15.965 'App' 1484 info] Initializing SSL context
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] Vmacore::InitSSL: doVersionCheck = true, handshakeTimeoutUs = 120000000
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'BaseLibs' 1484 info] NFC connection accept timeout: 180000 milliseconds

[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'BaseLibs' 1484 info] NFC request timeout: 180000 milliseconds

[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'BaseLibs' 1484 info] NFC read timeout: 60000 milliseconds

[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'BaseLibs' 1484 info] NFC write timeout: 600000 milliseconds

[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] Starting VMware VirtualCenter 2.0.1 build-32042
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] Account name: SYSTEM
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] [VpxOsLayer] Enabled low-frag process heap.

[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] [VpxOsLayer] Enabled low-frag crt heap.

[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] [VpxLRO] 32 max LROs
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] [VpxLRO] 6 reserved internal LROs
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] [VpxLRO] 6 reserved blocker LROs
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] [VpxLRO] 6 reserved short LROs
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] [VpxLRO] 2 reserved long LROs
[2007-05-03 12:18:16.808 'App' 1484 info] [VpxLRO] 600-second task lifetime
[2007-05-03 12:18:23.152 'Locale' 1484 info] Locale subsystem initialized from C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter 2.0\locale/ with default locale en.
[2007-05-03 12:18:23.262 'App' 1484 error] Found domain with invalid name . Removing /vpx/domain/#s78/
[2007-05-03 12:18:23.262 'App' 1484 error] Found resource group with invalid name . Removing /vpx/resgroup/#80/

Thanks

Not sure what is happening but this did not help.
What is tried is the following:

1. Checked the ODBC connection. (Successful and using SQL authentication)
2. Checked the "log on as" for service.
3. Checked that no locked processes are running on SQL database
4. Checked log file and and database size for VC database. both fine.
5. Checked using netstat -a for port still open. no problem.
6. IIS not installed

I could not find anything related to our error in the log file:
[2007-05-03 13:37:15.511 'App' 3656 error] Found domain with invalid name . Removing /vpx/domain/#s78/
[2007-05-03 13:37:15.511 'App' 3656 error] Found resource group with invalid name . Removing /vpx/resgroup/#80/

Where would the domain name and resource group be looked up?

Thanks
Johann

I went through VM Support, and the only way to resolve my issue was to uinstall VC server, delete the database and reinstall.

I'm have the same problem. I'm looking on the forum before calling vm-support. I've thought about starting with a clean database but I really would like to keep all the data that has been created.

I had the sma eproblem recently and the fix was to disable IIS first because it was conflicting with VC. Might give it a try before reinstalling.

THIS SOLVED MY PROBLEM. Check for this resolution.

Requirements for Running VirtualCenter with MS SQL 2005

VMware VirtualCenter

Details

|VMware has tested and certified Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP1 for use with VirtualCenter Server 2.0.1. Important: This configuration requires the VirtualCenter Server database login to be the owner of the database. A login with the db_owner role is not sufficient.
Although Microsoft has introduced the "SQL Native Client" ODBC driver with SQL Server 2005, the only supported ODBC driver for use with VirtualCenter Server is the "SQL Server" driver.
|

Solution

If the VirtualCenter Server service installs but does not start and logs the following error, this is a symptom that the SQL Server 2005 SP1 database is not configured correctly:

Failed to init tableDef: Column VER_ID does not exist in table VPX_VERSION. Database version may be incompatible.

This condition can occur if VirtualCenter Server was installed using a database login mapped to a user other than dbo. When the VirtualCenter login is the owner of the database, the login automatically maps to the dbo user.

There are two ways to achieve the correct configuration:

• Configure a fresh installation.
• Repair a fresh installation that does not start.

To configure a fresh installation:

1. Connect to your SQL Server 2005 server with SQL Server Management Studio.
2. Create a database login (*vclogin*) for VirtualCenter Server to use.
3. Create a new database (*VCDB*) and change the owner from <default> to vclogin.
4. Observe that vclogin maps to the dbo database user for VCDB.
5. Change the default database for vclogin from master to VCDB.
6. Install VirtualCenter Server according to the product documentation.

To repair a fresh installation that does not start:

If the database has already been created and VirtualCenter Server has already been installed, it is possible to modify the owner of the database with a system stored procedure. In the steps below, substitute <vcuser> and <vclogin> with your appropriate account names.

1. Connect to your SQL Server 2005 server with SQL Server Management Studio.
2. Go to the db_owner schema properties and change the owner from <vcuser> to dbo.
3. Delete the <vcuser> database user (not the <vclogin> database login that maps to it).
4. Open a new query window for the VirtualCenter database.
5. Execute this command:
   EXEC sp_changedbowner @loginame = '<vclogin>', @map = 'true'
6. Start the VirtualCenter Server service.

Reference the VirtualCenter Server Release Notes at http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pubs.html for details on supported databases and client driver versions. For information how to identify your SQL Server version and edition, reference the Microsoft Knowlege Base article 321185 at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321185.