vSphere Client Connection Error

[Grax]

I'm trying to log into one of ESX v4.1 servers.  When I connect i get the error:

Connection Error:

The request failed because the remote server 'IP ADDRESS' took too long to respond. (The command has timed out as the remote server is taking too long to respond.)

Error Stack:

Call "ServiceInstance.RetrieveContent" for object "ServiceInstance" on Server "IP ADDRESS" failed.

This just started happening one day.  This particular server is on a different VLAN is pingable and can be accessed via SSH and its HTTPS website.  With any computer directly connected to the Local LAN I can not connect, doesn't matter which VLAN I'm on.  I have rebooted the host machine, which didn't make a difference.

Now... from home if I VPN in I can connect to the server; which makes no sense.

Ideas?

[pcerda]

Hi,

You have to make sure the vSphere Client has connection to the host through these ports:

- 443

- 902

- 903

Best Regards.

[Grax]

As I stated in my OP this was working, it just stopped working one day.  There is no firewall on the client machine; the client can connect to the local VLAN ESX host.

This isn't a VLAN issue, my machine at home can connect to it and when VPN'd in its on the non local VLAN.  Plus I tried a machine that's local to ESX-02 and it couldn't connect.

FYI, I do get the certificate warning, when I try to connect, so I know it's finding the machine.

Thanks in Advance

[Grax]

Ok, in doing some more investigating... It's seems that something is screwed up with port 443 on the server.  I thought I could connect to it, but I must a type the IP of the primary ESX server when testing.  I can not access the website, I can get the SSL warning when trying to log into http://<IP ADDY>, but as soon as I click continue, that too fails.

Just really odd that my home computer can access it.

Ideas?

[Grax]

[root@ESX-02 ~]# lsof -i
COMMAND     PID   USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE NODE NAME
slpd       2728 daemon    4u  IPv4  10255       TCP localhost:svrloc (LISTEN)
slpd       2728 daemon    5u  IPv4  10256       TCP ESX-02:svrloc (LISTEN)
slpd       2728 daemon    6u  IPv4  10257       UDP *:svrloc
slpd       2728 daemon    7u  IPv4  10258       UDP ESX-02:svrloc
slpd       2728 daemon    8u  IPv4  10259       UDP 255.255.255.255:svrloc
openwsman  2813   root    4u  IPv4  10526       TCP localhost:ddi-tcp-2 (LISTEN)
sshd       2853   root    3u  IPv4  10537       TCP *:ssh (LISTEN)
xinetd     2871   root    5u  IPv4  11603       TCP *:ideafarm-chat (LISTEN)
xinetd     2871   root    6u  IPv4  11604       TCP *:ideafarm-catch (LISTEN)
ntpd       2889    ntp   16u  IPv4  10699       UDP *:ntp
ntpd       2889    ntp   17u  IPv4  10700       UDP localhost:ntp
ntpd       2889    ntp   18u  IPv4  10701       UDP ESX-02:ntp
syslogd    3044   root   11u  IPv4 140506       UDP *:syslog
sfcb-HTTP  3666   root   72u  IPv4  12516       TCP *:wbem-https (LISTEN)
sfcb-HTTP  3669   root   72u  IPv4  12517       TCP localhost:wbem-http (LISTEN)
sshd      11278   root    3u  IPv4 156180       TCP ESX-02:ssh->192.168.10.201:ewlm (ESTABLISHED)
sshd      11282    xyz    3u  IPv4 156180       TCP ESX-02:ssh->192.168.10.201:ewlm (ESTABLISHED)
hostd-wor 16386   root   14u  IPv4 165112       TCP localhost:entextnetwk (LISTEN)
hostd-wor 16386   root   15u  IPv4 165115       TCP *:https (LISTEN)
hostd-wor 16386   root   16u  IPv4 165118       TCP *:http (LISTEN)
hostd-wor 16386   root   44u  IPv4 167220       TCP localhost:54327->localhost:wbem-http (CLOSE_WAIT)
hostd-wor 16386   root   49r  IPv4 165788       TCP localhost:8309 (LISTEN)
hostd-wor 16386   root   50u  IPv4 165791       TCP localhost:8307 (LISTEN)

It looks like HTTPS is working... So what is going on?

Anyone have an idea!?  I really need to get this working.

[bulletprooffool · Accepted solution]

Grax,

If you can access this host from one workstation (your home PC) and not another on the nwtwork, I can only imagine that the problem is one of the following

• Invalid routing of your network
• A NAT rule allowing the VPN'd workstation too access the ESX host and misdirecting local traffic
• A firewall rule on the local network
• IP routing / Default gateways misconfgured
• Some sort of a route loop on your network.
• Bad client installation on workstation (try installing the client on a differnt workstation on the same subnet and test connectivity)

Try accessing the ESX host form a different VLAN on your network and see if there is any consostency.

Lastly, if there is any chance of it, get the workstation tha tcan not connect onto the same subnet as the ESX host and test connectivity. If this works, your problem must lie in you networking config.

[bulletprooffool]

One more thing . . if the home PC connects and PCs in the office not . . I would lean towards it being a NAT issue . .

[Grax]

Ok after looking at this some more, there's got to be a routing issue.

I logged into my DC that's physically plugged into the same switch as the ESX-02 host and on the same vlan.  I was able to access the HTTPS website.

The machine I had been testing from was a VM on ESX-01 host.

Thanks...

[Fausto_Fonseca]

Strange, I have the same problem, I'm testing using wokstation 9 ESXi 5.

In wokrstation 9 have 1 windows 2008 and ESXi 5. On my pc installed vSphere Client and this error occurred, did another test installed on virtual server and functioned normally.