vSphere Web Client breaks randomly with VCSA

[sastre]

Hi,

I'm running VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.0.10000, with an associated platform services controller (PSC). Every so often, accessing the vSphere Web Client just stops working, by which I mean, connecting with Chrome results in the unhappy grey face:

I'm currently running v47.0.2526.111m but this has happened on a number of occasion with earlier versions.

Restarting the vSphere Web Client from the command line doesn't fix anything. Rebooting both the VCSA and PSC does, but this isn't a suitable solution.

I can't see anything that suggests a problem in:

/var/log/vmware/vsphere-client/wrapper.log

/var/log/vmware/vsphere-client/logs/vsphere_client_virgo.log

Firefox wants me to install Flash, which I'm not going to do.

Edge and IE block attempts to connect saying "Content was blocked because it was not signed by a valid security certificate."

Does anyone have any other advice for troubleshooting this and getting it working again with Chrome?

Thank you.

[vmEck]

Could be an issue with the CIP (Client Integration Plugin).

Give this a try: VMware Client Integration Plugin (CIP) v6.0 Issue on Mac OS X

[sastre · Accepted solution]

Hi Adam

Thanks for the reply.  I don't use a Mac, and this issue occurs on PCs with or without the integration plugin installed. The page source (when viewed in Chrome) does show some VMware related output, but it doesn't render. I've literally just deployed a brand new VCSA (from v6.0.0-3040890) and can't access that either and yet the web client is a requirement to configure SSO and get started. Again, this is inaccessible over multiple computers.

However, you mentioning the CIP led me to this: VMware KB:    vSphere Web Client integration plug-in fails in Google Chrome 45 or later
updated on 28th Jan 2016, which suggested to download Client Integration Plugin in vCenter Server 6.0 Update 1 with a direct link to the .exe

I downloaded this and ran the installer, which hung on "Installing certificates and starting service...", with openssl.exe chugging away using up lots of CPU time. That led me to *another bug*, listed here: VMware KB: Installing the VMware Client Integration Plug-in 5.5 Update 3 and 6.0 Update 1 hangs on I...

- so I downloaded 6.0 U1b and the CIP installed quickly, but didn't solve the problem.

What did solve the problem in the end?

Deleting ?csp off the end of the bookmark I was using to try and access the web client! Visiting https://vcsa/vsphere-client/?csp would result in Chrome breaking, but visiting https://vcsa/vsphere-client resulted in a redirect to https://vcsa/websso/SAML2/SSOSSL?RelyingPartyEntityId=[longstringremoved] where I could accept to proceed past the certificate warning, before being sent back to https://vcsa/vsphere-client/?csp but this time, with a working login.

Regards,

Robin

[Defhead]

Hi

I have been trying to fix this for days and was experiencing all the same symptoms you mentioned here in your post.

This is what i found and as simple as it sounds it worked for me.

My webclient URL address was going to https://virtualcentre/vsphere-client/?csp which normally took me directly to the log in page for the web client.

deleting /vsphere-client/?csp worked so i tried going to https://virtualcentre/  (virtualcentre being my real virtual centre server name) and from there i clicked log in to vSphere Web Client.

Hope that helps.

[JoyYu]

"Deleting ?csp off"  did not fix my problem.  But I change the URL to https://FQDNofMyvcenter/  works!  Thanks for the post, everyone.

Thanks,

Joy

[Howiedog]

Shit breaks for no apparent reason. Fat Client will go away, because thats what Vmware wants, Not the General Public. No One listens to the customer anymore, all this shit is just shoved down our throats like good little billy goats and is f*%king pathetic.

Web Client is a joke. Slow...continual refreshes required to see changes I make in REAL TIME, how the hell does this help us?

A few times I could NOT use the web client. Now what>? Whats my alternative here??

VMWORLD posed the question to 300 attendees: How many of you still want the Fat Client??

295 people put thier hands up.

HOW does this equate to "no body wants it"

Say Hello to the NEW MICROSOFT CLONES, or should that read CLOWNS??

Every friggin release is more fragile than the last...which is a mirror image of Microsoft practices. Damn copy cats.

[P8]

So true Howiedog, Have been dealing with this forever. Has caused us to have to reinstall vcenter a couple of times.

[yougotitspanky]

I have tried so many different solutions.  what fixed my own problem is use the FQDN for my vcenter server. Hope this can help some of you.

good luck!

Joy

[alleninbroomfie]

I agree-- the web client is nothing but a joke.  Zero problems ever with the thick client.

[FSvcoe]

It's ridiculous. Two different web clients, each with different functionality. Slow and clunky.

Bring back the C# client and listen to your customers for a change.