vcsa-deploy.exe: Got error while running OVF Tool command: Deployment failed. Ovftool return error code: -1073741800

[sastre]

Hi,

Once upon a time I deployed our entire v6 PSC/VCSA environment using vcsa-deploy.exe and json config files. Wonderful.

I'm now trying to deploy using an updated version of vCenter - v6.0 Update 3b (VMware-VCSA-all-6.0.0-5326177.iso). I'm using the updated json template. I'm on Windows 10 x64 and undoubtedly a newer build than when I first used the cli installer (not sure if this makes a difference).

The error I'm getting is when deploying is:

Cannot gather support logs because the appliance could not deploy.
Got error while running OVF Tool command: Deployment failed. Ovftool return error code: -1073741800

Basic verification completed successfully, so no problems reported there.

The line "See c:\users\robin\appdata\local\temp\vcsaCliInstaller-2017-11-10-12-45-oj7vbi\ovftool.log for the OVF Tool logs." is not possible, because the log doesn't exist.

Running the installer in a web browser isn't an option because I'm using Firefox and Chrome x64; Firefox tells me I need to run the installer on Windows. Chrome prompts me to install the client integration plugin (already done), then to open it, but doesn't do anything, although it did once throw the following error: "vmware-csd.exe - Application Error: The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000018). Click OK to close the application." - Anyway I don't want to do this as it negates the benefits of using the command line.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[sastre]

Ok - getting strange. I grabbed the latest vCenter server version - v6.0 Update 3c (VMware-VCSA-all-6.0.0-7040641.iso) and executed the same command to deploy, using the same JSON template.

It worked! However, I forgot to change target.vcsa > appliance > name so it deployed with the VM named as 'Platform-Services-Controller'  so:

• I deleted the VM and tried again with a different name (poc-psc-prod), but it failed with the same error.
• I changed the name back to Platform-Services-Controller (CTRL-Z rather than typing) and it worked. I deleted the VM again.
• I copied the JSON file to a second version, and changed the name in that to poc-psc-prod. Deployment failed.
• I tried the original file with Platform-Services-Controller. Deployment failed.
• Waited 2 minutes, and tried the second JSON file with the correct name and now the deployment is running.

So far it successfully deployed three times then, but has failed maybe 20x with the same error.

The difference in the log file is when it reaches this point:

Fail:

See
c:\users\robin\appdata\local\temp\vcsaCliInstaller-2017-11-10-13-43-ceqooz\ovftool.log
for the OVF Tool logs.
OVF Tool:
OVF Tool:
OVF Tool:
Gathering VC support log bundle. This can take a few minutes.
Cannot gather support logs because the appliance could not deploy.
Got error while running OVF Tool command: Deployment failed. Ovftool return
error code: -1073741800

Success:

OVF Tool: Opening OVA source: D:\vc\vcsa\vmware-vcsa
OVF Tool:  The manifest does not validate
OVF Tool:  Opening VI target: vi://root@REMOVEDIP:443/
OVF Tool:  Deploying to VI: vi://root@REMOVEDIP:443/

What could be causing such a temperamental error?

[mhampto]

May want to add some debugging to see better were the ovftool is failing: https://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2013/08/quick-tip-useful-ovftool-debugging.html