The installer is unable to connect to the vCenter Appliance Management Interface Problem

[connector]

Hi,

I'm new to vSphere.  It's my first time setting it up and I'm struggling with the appliance install.  I keep getting "The installer is unable to connect to the vCenter Appliance Management Interface" right at the end of step 1.  I'm using v6.5 update 1 and it's a trial license.  I was able to setup one ESXi server (esxi-1), which seems to be working just fine.  I have one windows 10 computer on the same network as the ESXi server.  I have one domain controller (DC-1) on the same network.  It's an isolated network, no outside connection, no gateway (I used 0.0.0.0).  It's all setup using VMware Workstation 14 Pro.  Everything pings and replies like you would expect.  Nslookup works for the windows 10 computer and  DC-1 fine, forward and reverse, from either computer.  The ESXI-1 isn't joined to the domain, but the windows 10 computer is.

I look in the log file and I see this at the end repeating:

2018-03-02T21:49:12.667Z - error: VAMI is NOT accessilbe[24]: https://192.168.6.122:5480/, err: Could not get response for get request from url https://192.168.6.122:5480/: Error: connect ETIMEDOUT 192.168.6.122:5480

2018-03-02T21:49:33.671Z - error: Could not get response for get request from url https://192.168.6.122:5480/: Error: connect ETIMEDOUT 192.168.6.122:5480

2018-03-02T21:49:33.673Z - error: VAMI is NOT accessilbe[25]: https://192.168.6.122:5480/, err: Could not get response for get request from url https://192.168.6.122:5480/: Error: connect ETIMEDOUT 192.168.6.122:5480

2018-03-02T21:49:33.674Z - info: Cancelling the ping timer for session mgmt

I open the webpage on esxi-1 and I see the appliance.  It says, "please visit the following url to configure this appliance:" and the link won't open.  Also the IP I assigned to the appliance won't ping.  I don't understand why or what's wrong.  I tried rebooting the appliance, too, with no luck.

Any help would be appreciated!

[a_p_]

Let me just make sure that I understand the setup correctly:

• this is a nested setup
• DC, Win10, ESXi as virtual machines in VMware Workstation
• Network "Host-Only" 192.168.6.0/24
• DNS records for the vCSA (Forward, and Reverse) are configured
• vCSA deployed on the ESXi VM (from the Windows 10 VM?)

Some questions:

• what's your host OS (Windows/Linux) on which VMware Workstation is running
• how does the virtual network setup on the ESXi host look like

André

[connector]

Hi André,

• this is a nested setup - correct
• DC, Win10, ESXi as virtual machines in VMware Workstation - correct
• Network "Host-Only" 192.168.6.0/24 -  correct
• DNS records for the vCSA (Forward, and Reverse) are configured - correct
• vCSA deployed on the ESXi VM (from the Windows 10 VM?) - correct, from the Windows 10 VM

• what's your host OS (Windows/Linux) on which VMware Workstation is running - VMware workstation is running on a Window 10 computer
• how does the virtual network setup on the ESXi host look like - I gave it a static ip of 192.168.6.120 and I added the dns name (testp3.loc).  I turned ipv6 off.  It's host name is 'esxi-1'.

Thanks

[a_p_]

Sorry that I was not clear with the last question.

With "virtual network setup" I was thinking of the vSwitches, and Port Groups which you've configured in ESXi.

André

[connector]

Okay, got ya.  I think I see where your going.  I attached a few pictures that I think show it best.  2 & 3 pic's are of the Workstation setup.  Pic 1 is from the vSwitch. 

Thanks for the help on this, it's all new to me.

[a_p_]

Are both vmnics connected to the Host-Only network, or is one of them connected to the NAT network?

By default, ESXi assigns the VMs to the vmnics in a round-robin manner, and if the second vmnic is connected to the NAT network, this may explain why you don't have network access to the newly created VM.

André

[connector]

One is connected to the NAT network.  I think i should disable this one, I don't need it.  And then maybe I should also change the ESXi server to just the one nic on the host-only network.  What do you think?

Thanks!

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

Either disable/disconnect it in the ESXi VM's settings, or simply set both vmnics to Host-Only.

André

[connector]

Ok, I removed the NAT connection all together and disabled the second NIC on ESXI-1.  Now everything is pinging!  I tried to open the webpage on the appliance and now I'm getting, "This site can't be reached", photon-machine refused to connect.  Try: checking the connection & checking the proxy (which i don't have) and the firewall.  I'm going to double check firewalls - i did shut them all off.

Get close, thanks!

[connector]

It's working now!  I ended up deleting the VM and starting over.  It completed stage 1 successfully finally!  Thank you for the help!