Is there any way to MANUALLY remove hosts from VCenter Server 5.1?

[DSBMS]

My Vcenter Server will not start.   It has a problem with the VSSO single signon user.  Gets an authentication error trying to authenticate to domain.  I've checked, user is ok, not disabled, can login correctly.  SSO service starts fine.

But, while I am working on this, I desperately need to remove a host from vSphere, to make it standalone for another group to own the server.  I can't get into vcenter server to remove the host!

Any ideas how to do this?

[jrmunday]

If you connect to the host directly using root credentials you should see a "dissassociate host from vcenter" on the summary tab - perhaps this will work?

PowerCLI also comes to mind, but I'm guessing that it will need vCenter running before the Remove-VMHost cmdlet will work - havent tried this, just thinking of possible options?

Cheers,

Jon

[tomtom901]

You could always log on to the host directly. Under the summary tab, you have the disassociate host from vCenter server option.

[DSBMS]

This is 5.1.  The vSphere has been down 2 weeks.

When I try what you say, I get this:

If I click that, it goes to (Not kidding), www.vmware.com to myvmware page

It looks to me not to know that it has the vcenter server hooks running.  Like if I turn off virtual machines, it tries to

unsuccessfully restart them, with vcenter server service NOT running.   It is like a ghost has appeared in the hosts.

I think what has happenned is that vclient server has been down so long, the hosts are no longer talking to it or attempting to do so, but the vclients on the hosts are still 'hooked' to the server, so when I kill vm's, it attempts to restart them, gets to a specific point, then waits for vclient server to complete the restart, which it doesn't do.

So I guess the reall question is how to turn off the 'hooks' in vclient so the local host doesn't think it is managed?

[suj27]

This could be due to vpxa agent down on the host, can you try starting this.

Enable SSH and connect to the ESXi host using putty, check the status of vpxa: /etc/init.d/vpxa status

Restart hostd to clear invalid references: /etc/init.d/hostd restart

Start the vpxa: /etc/init.d/vpxa start

Close the exisiting direct vSphere Client connection and launch a new one, the option to dissociate from vCenter should be now available.

[kashifkarar01]

Step 1: use the command to restart the services on your esxi 5.1 hosts :

services.sh restart

Step 2: wait for 2 to 3 mins after connect  to host using vsphere client and go to summary tab and then disassociate the host from vCenter server.

If you do not see the option: SSH into the esxi host and manually uninstall vpxa agent will do. If you do not have ssh option then go to the server room or use ILO (If its hp server) login to DCUI > Troubleshooting options > Enable local ssh and the perform the steps from there:

KB ref:

kb.vmware.com/kb/1031919

[DSBMS]

Ok

I can SSH in, vxpa is running, so I stopped it, tried a hostd restart, then restarted vxpa.

Waited a few minutes, relogged in, option is not in summary to disassociate

So next, are you saying to uninstall vxpa on each host, including the one that has the vclient server vm?

If so, how do you uninstall vxpa from command shell?

If I do it on all hosts, then I can kill the vclient server vm and reinstall it from scratch, and then reassociate the hosts I want to it?

[ScreamingSilenc]

If so, how do you uninstall vxpa from command shell?

1. Connect to the ESX host using SSH.
2. Execute below commands on shell

cp /opt/vmware/uninstallers/VMware-fdm-uninstall.sh /tmp

chmod +x /tmp/VMware-fdm-uninstall.sh

/tmp/VMware-fdm-uninstall.sh

Refer KB VMware KB: Verifying and reinstalling the correct version of the VMware vCenter Server agents

You need run only on the host which you need to remove from the vCenter Server.