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PGinhoux
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vCSA 6.5 installation failure on a ESXi host 6.5

Hi,

I'm starting to install a VMware infrastructure on a new site.

At the moment, I have 2 ESXi hosts installed and configured with update-from-esxi6.5-6.5_update01 (Build 5969303). I can log in the the user interface of each host without problem.

Now I want to install the vCenter appliance. So I have downloaded the latest image for vCSA from the VMware download center : VMware-VCSA-all-6.5.0-6816762.iso.

I run the Installer and enter all the required parameters to install the vCSA on a selected ESXi host.

But the installation hung during 1 hour before to show any error, meaning the progress bar for the vCSA deployment is always of 0% during 1 hour.

In the Installer log I can see an error at the very beginning of the deployment : "ovfProcess child process exited with code 255".

Here the end of the log file:

2017-11-14T06:42:03.755Z - info: output:PROGRESS

2017-11-14T06:42:06.159Z - info: ovfProcess child process exited with code 255
2017-11-14T06:45:04.554Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 07:44:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T06:50:04.545Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 07:49:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T06:55:04.539Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 07:54:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:00:04.547Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 07:59:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:05:04.554Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 08:04:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:10:04.647Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 08:09:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:15:04.555Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 08:14:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:20:04.564Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 08:19:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:25:04.568Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 08:24:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:30:04.564Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 08:29:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:35:04.572Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 08:34:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:40:04.580Z - debug: Updated current session with lstActTm Tue Nov 14 2017 08:39:40 GMT+0100 (Romance Standard Time)
2017-11-14T07:42:00.041Z - debug: ovfDeployTimer executed, OVF_DEPLOYMENT_DONE: false
2017-11-14T07:42:00.041Z - error: ovfDeployTimer: ovf deployment failed after 3600000 ms passed in which no response from the server was received
2017-11-14T07:42:00.042Z - info: Terminate the ovfDeploy process

My installation is now blocked because of the above error, and I have not found any posts/messages related to such problem.

Also I would appreciate help to get rid of this.

Thanks in advance for anybody who can help me.

Regards

Patrick

1 Solution

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PGinhoux
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Well, for me the Installer behavior is strange as I try to explain.

Now as you said, for sure I have to follow the prerequisites, then here for me to install the DNS server.

Thanks for your help and sharing all these info with you.

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daphnissov
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First, turn off DRS if you have it enabled. Next, ensure the workstation from which you're launching the installer and the ESXi hosts all have time synchronized. Last, make sure your DNS (forward and reverse) is working properly and your static IP is valid.

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PGinhoux
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Well, it's a fresh installation, with new ESXi hosts. So I don't have DRS on (maybe I'm don't look at the right place on the ESXi host).

and no vCSA installed yet.

The workstation I used is synchronized with the ESXi host to the same NTP servers (I jet see about 4 seconds less on the ESXi).

About the DNS, actually I don't have any DNS servers available for run this installation; so when the Installer asks for the DNS server I enter the workstation ID address.

For the other network parameters, I only enter IP addresses for the ESXi host that will host the vCSA and for the vCSA as well.

is there something wrong in my procedure?

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daphnissov
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Then you sound fine on everything except DNS. You have to have DNS in order to complete this installation.

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PGinhoux
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I have tried to reproduce this error case in my lab without entering a real IP address for the DNS server in the installer run. But the installer has started the installation correctly.

So isn't it possible to do this installation without a DNS server?

Now I have done a mistake on the time synchronization; I have one hour of difference between my workstation (Windows 2008 R2 server) and the ESXi host:

Time on the workstation : 18:58:34

pastedImage_0.png

Time on the ESXi host : 17:58:29

pastedImage_6.png

It seems the ESXi host displays the clock without taking care of the timezone. (+1:00).

So could the time be the cause of the problem instead of DNS ?

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daphnissov
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It takes into consideration the time offset, just the time itself needs to be correct. In my experience, if you do not have DNS you cannot install the vCSA. But regardless, DNS is a core part of any infrastructure and so, even if it were to install successfully, it certainly won't operate successfully. You need DNS.

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PGinhoux
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Let me clarify what I'm trying to do.

The plan is to build a full virtualized infrastructure of 3 ESXi hosts and the vCenter appliance (hosted on one ESXi), then to create multiples VMs that replace an old infrastructure of physical servers. In the old infrastructure there is no DNS servers.

That's why I expected the Installer to work without a DNS server to deploy the vCSA.

So my target was, once the ESXi hosts and the vCenter created, to create a first VM that would have the DNS role (and the AD role as well). Then I would update the ESXi hosts and the vCSA with the new DNS server address.

If the DNS is really required before to start, I would have to think about another plan that I have no idea right now.

Any comments/ideas are welcome.

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daphnissov
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There is nothing stopping you from creating your first VM on those ESXi hosts as a DNS/AD server. It is perfectly fine, supported, and do-able to create VMs directly on top of ESXi without a vCenter Server. Once you have DNS running, you can deploy the vCSA and anything else you need.

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PGinhoux
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Well, thanks you for all your information.

I'll think about the strategy to create a first VM on the ESXi.... Next update tomorrow now, it's time for me to close for today.

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PGinhoux
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Hi,

I have started to create a first VM on one of my ESXi hosts, and I'm going to declared it as AD/DNS server. So as you said I could continue to deploy the vCSA etc...

During my different actions, I noticed that, if the workstation I use to run the Installer (or the ESXi host) has the IP address of the DNS server configured on tits network interface, then the vCSA installation starts without problem.

It looks like the Installer detects this DNS server address. Does it make sense to you ?

daphnissov
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I'm not exactly sure what you mean.

When you go through the vCSA installer, it prompts you for networking information. Here is where you must input your DNS information.

pastedImage_0.png

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PGinhoux
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Actually when it prompts me for network information, in the DNS servers field, I had entered the IP address of my workstation instead of the IP address of the real DNS server.

To illustrate my case :

The DNS Server IP address      : 192.168.1.1

My workstation IP address         : 192.168.1.10 (in its network config, the above DNS IP is configured)

My ESXi host IP address           : 192.168.1.11 (in its network config, the above DNS IP is configured)

The future vCSA IP address      : 192.168.10.12

I run the Installer with the 192.168.1.10 IP address in the DNS Servers field.

With this info, the Installer starts the vCSA installation without problem. So because 192.168.1.10 is not the address of the DNS server, how the Installer can do the installation ?

My thought is the Installer finds the DNS server address in the network config of my workstation or in the ESXi host.

Is it more clear for you ?

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daphnissov
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It may begin the installation process, but it will ultimately fail because your workstation is not a DNS server. You should be inputting the correct address for your new DNS server in that field, not some workstation on your network.

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PGinhoux
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No problem II have to put the correct DNS server address to make it work as appropriate.

What I was saying is that on a site where I don't have any DNS server, the Installer fails immediately.

But if somewhere it finds the DNS server address, the Installer continues to deploy the vCSA.

In my mind it should fail immediately in both case.

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daphnissov
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It's not failing because it's a valid IP address. That doesn't mean it is the correct IP address. If you have the necessary prerequisites as far as your infrastructure is concerned, you should get no failures. DNS is one such requirement, and without it in place and working properly, not much is going to work for you.

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PGinhoux
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Well, for me the Installer behavior is strange as I try to explain.

Now as you said, for sure I have to follow the prerequisites, then here for me to install the DNS server.

Thanks for your help and sharing all these info with you.

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PGinhoux
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Hi,

I just see that I had click on the 'Good answer' to your answers but it has been assigned to myself. I don't know why.

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fredobas
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The network configuratio of the workstation on which the installer is launched need a DNS entry. That's the solution of this issue.

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