vCenter 6.5 U2B installation fails in Windows.

[janibasham]

Windows OS - Windows server 2008R2 standard edition

Vcenter Version - 6.5 U2B

Deployment type - External Deployment (R2)

Our requirement -

1 PSC, 1 VCSA and 1 windows VC.

successfully installed PSC & VCSA separately (no issues found during the installation).

Issue faced after performing below steps during windows VC installation -

1. Created new VM with 2008R2 standard edition,

2. Installed VMware tools and synced VM time with ESXi host,

3. Added VC-ISO - "VMware-VIM-all-6.5.0-8815520" and tried installing VC.

4.Ran into issue - "failed to generate Virtualcenter symmetric encryption key" (PFA attached screenshot). Faced the same issue even with embedded PSC.

5. I thought it could be issue with windows and so updated windows to latest,

6. Again tried installing after which faced new latest issue "Unable to connect to Vcenter Single-Sign-On"(PFA vc-issue=latest.jpg).

7. PSC is up & running without issues (PFA screenshot).

I have attached logs for latest issue. Please check and let me know how to resolve this.

[Devi94]

Have you created these boxes on vmware workstation ?

[janibasham]

Hi Devi,

I have ESXi 5.5 on which VMs were deployed. Out of those VMs, 1 is Windows where i need to install VC.

Thanks,

janibasha

[Vijay2027]

I've ran into same issue recently.

Can you verfify if the patches MS17-010 and MS17-012, are applied on the Windows 2008 R2.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4012212/march-2007-security-only-quality-update-for-windows...  

[janibasham]

Please let me know how to check these.

[Vijay2027]

[janibasham]

I am just looking at them, will tell if they have installed because some of them are failed.

[SupreetK]

I had recommended the same to another user and they confirmed the installation was successful post installing the two roll-up patches -

Failed to install VCenter server v6.5U2

Please consider marking this answer as "correct" or "helpful" if you think your questions have been answered.

Cheers,

Supreet

[janibasham]

Installed both recommended patches (PFA updates-installed.jpg) and tried installing VC but no go.

Please see the new screenshot attached.

[golddiggie]

I have to ask... Why are you gong with a Windows installed vCenter Server at this point? Especially since you already have one vCSA. Plus, why (in all that's holy) would you go with Windows 2008r2 for the OS?? Especially since it appears that you created this VM just for the vCenter Server install. I would at least pick 2012r2 (patched to be current first). Of course, if you have an old vCenter Server that you're looking to upgrade, I'd just do the migration to the vCSA now. It will save you from doing that with your next upgrade.

[janibasham]

We have the requirement to install windows VC. Since i have the win 2k R2 handy i installed it.

[Devi94]

Do you have DNS entries in place ? nslookup working for both your psc and windows server ?

[janibasham]

Yes no issues with DNS entries and i am using SP1.

[Devi94]

can you share your psc logs at the time installation failure ?

[daphnissov]

What is the requirement to have vCenter on Windows, if I may ask? Are you/they/management aware there will be no more Windows vCenters after the current one?

[daphnissov]

Also, if you do have some archaic reason for requiring vCenter on Windows, why on Earth would you deploy it on a new 10-year-old operating system? None of what you're doing seems like a good idea to start with.

[golddiggie]

2008 r2 went end of life in January of 2015... It goes end of support in January of 2020. IMO, best to NOT deploy ANY VMs with it and work to migrate any VMs with it to ones with newer operating systems. Either 2012r2 or 2016.

Of course, for any new vCenter Servers (6.5 and above) the vCSA is the SMART choice.

[janibasham]

We have need to check our product compatibility with windows VC. Please let me know what exactly is the log that you want.

[Devi94]

all the logs under /var/log/vmware/sso.

[SupreetK]

Looks to be a problem with NTP. Is everything in proper sync with the NTP server?

Cheers,

Supreet