Add host (Esx 2.5.2) to VC 2.0.1 fails - why?

[ZuperDP]

Hi

I have 3 esx 3.0.1 in my virtual center, and things are working just fine, but I want to add my old machine running esx 2.5.2 to virtual center, but when trying to add the host i get the following error message:

Unable to access the specified host. It either does not exist, the server software is not responding, or there is a network problem.

When the add host wizard runs it connects to my machine, it displays all my virtual clients, and the virtual networking is also displayed correctly.

I would be really glad if someone could give me some help regarding this matter.

[esiebert7625]

Are you using the FQDN of the host, perhaps a DNS problem. Also make sure the version of the management agent on your host is the same as the VC Server. You can check this by doing vpxa -v on the host

VC 2.0.1 build number is 32042

VC 2.0.1 Patch 1 build number is 33643

VC 2.0.1 Patch 2 build number is 40644

[ZuperDP]

I have tried both with FQDN and IP-adress, same result.

I've checked the version and they are both the same (33643)

no help so far, any more ideas?

//Daniel

[msimms]

When you edit the 2.5.2 VM devices and .vmx files using VC 2.0.1 ; Is it supposed to garble the .vmx file where ESX 2.5.2 can't understand the .vmx file written by VC 2.0.1?

After I edited the devices of VM's running on 2.5.2 with VC 2.0.1, I was prompted with errors about the .vmx after trying to restart the VM.

I had to end up recreating the .vmx using the 2.5.2 MUI. Anybody else see this?

[radhika1780]

check for the serverd process in ESX 2.5.2 host. Kill the process and new process will start automatically.

Now try to connect the host to VC.

[ZuperDP]

Sorry, but I dont have any serverd process in the ESX 2.5.2 host....

[ZuperDP]

I still haven't solved my problem, and I would really appreciate any kind of help!

//Daniel

[esiebert7625]

Do you have a firewall in between your ESX server and VC? You'll need to make sure that port 902 is open so the ESX server and VC can communicate.

Also check the version of the mgmt agent version on the ESX server (vpxa -v). It will need to be the same as your VC version.

VC 2.0.1 build number is 32042

VC 2.0.1 Patch 1 build number is 33643

VC 2.0.1 Patch 2 build number is 40644

If it is not the same you can manually upgrade it manually using the below steps...

1) Login to the VC 2.0 server as Administrator.

2) Open the folder for the VC 2.0 installation. By default this will be "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter 2.0\upgrade"

3. You need to use the correct file for different version of ESX server. You can find your answer in bundleversion.xml Ie.

2.0.1+ = vpx-upgrade-esx-0-linux-*

2.1.0+ = vpx-upgrade-esx-1-linux-*

2.5.0 = vpx-upgrade-esx-2-linux-*

2.5.1 = vpx-upgrade-esx-3-linux-*

2.5.2 = vpx-upgrade-esx-4-linux-*

2.5.3 = vpx-upgrade-esx-5-linux-*

3.0.0+ = vpx-upgrade-esx-6-linux-*

e.x.p = vpx-upgrade-esx-6-linux-*

4) Copy file "vpx-upgrade-esx-y-linux-xxxxx" to your ESX host, where y and xxxxx are based on bundleversion.xml.

Xxxxx is the build number,

ie.

VC 2.0.0 build number is 27704

VC 2.0.1 build number is 32042

VC 2.0.1 Patch 1 build number is 33643

(Use a secure copy utility such as WinSCP or PuTTY PSFTP to copy this file to the ESX server.)

5) Login to the ESX server as root.

6) In the directory where you copied the upgrade bundle run the command:

sh ./ vpx-upgrade-esx-y-linux-xxxxx

7) run the command:

\- service vmware-vpxa restart

\- service mgmt-vmware restart

[ZuperDP]

Do you have a firewall in between your ESX server and

VC? You'll need to make sure that port 902 is open so

the ESX server and VC can communicate.

No firewall between them. When I run the "Connect new host" agent at my VC, it will find my ESX, it also makes an inventory check and displays all my VM and virtual machines from my Esx, so the communication is working just fine. When i then klick "finish" the task is displayed in the field Recent tasks with status "in progress" - then nothing more happens and after a while the error message "Unable to access the specified host" appears..

Also check the version of the mgmt agent version on

the ESX server (vpxa -v). It will need to be the

same as your VC version.

Yes - they are the same, i have double checked it! :smileygrin:

VC 2.0.1 build number is 32042

VC 2.0.1 Patch 1 build number is 33643

VC 2.0.1 Patch 2 build number is 40644

If it is not the same you can manually upgrade it

manually using the below steps...

1) Login to the VC 2.0 server as Administrator.

2) Open the folder for the VC 2.0 installation. By

default this will be "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware

VirtualCenter 2.0\upgrade"

3. You need to use the correct file for different

version of ESX server. You can find your answer in

bundleversion.xml Ie.

2.0.1+ = vpx-upgrade-esx-0-linux-*

2.1.0+ = vpx-upgrade-esx-1-linux-*

2.5.0 = vpx-upgrade-esx-2-linux-*

2.5.1 = vpx-upgrade-esx-3-linux-*

2.5.2 = vpx-upgrade-esx-4-linux-*

2.5.3 = vpx-upgrade-esx-5-linux-*

3.0.0+ = vpx-upgrade-esx-6-linux-*

e.x.p = vpx-upgrade-esx-6-linux-*

4) Copy file "vpx-upgrade-esx-y-linux-xxxxx" to your

ESX host, where y and xxxxx are based on

bundleversion.xml.

Xxxxx is the build number,

ie.

VC 2.0.0 build number is 27704

VC 2.0.1 build number is 32042

VC 2.0.1 Patch 1 build number is 33643

(Use a secure copy utility such as WinSCP or PuTTY

PSFTP to copy this file to the ESX server.)

5) Login to the ESX server as root.

6) In the directory where you copied the upgrade

bundle run the command:

sh ./ vpx-upgrade-esx-y-linux-xxxxx

7) run the command:

- service vmware-vpxa restart

- service mgmt-vmware restart

This is a bit funny.. It seems as if I dont have the service mgmt-vmware at my ESX.. When searching for the service i cant find it.. Could this be the reason why it fails? Or is the service perhaps running with another name in esx 2.5.2?

Regards

//Daniel

[esiebert7625]

Sorry, I've had ESX3 on the brain for so long, forgot that was new to ESX3 and not in 2.5, vmware-ccagent is the 2.5 equivalent to vmware-vpxa.

[ZuperDP]

Actually, vmware-vpxa is running at my 2.5

It is the mgmg-vmware service I cant find!

[esiebert7625]

That service is new to ESX3...

[postfixreload]

you will not see mgmt-vmware in 2.5.x ESX server.

serverd is used in esx 2.5.x (after 2.5.1, ccagent was used before that)

[ZuperDP]

Ahh, thats what I thought..

Well, I Can't figure why it won't work.. I guess its not meant to work for me..

[postfixreload]

Someone told me this worked for him (Well I never test it and it doen't make too much sense to me) but you can try

longin to VC --> administrator --> virtual center memanagement server configuration --> under license server --> uncheck change license server setting to match that veritual center server settings whenever add the host to virtual center

then try it again.

Please let me know the result. I want to know if that really works for esx 2.5.x servers

[ZuperDP]

I have tried it now and it didn't work.. Just the same error message as before.

Thanks anyway!

//Daniel

[vigneng]

I am in the same situation with two 2.5.2 servers. One could never connect and the other was connected yesterday until I edited a .vmx via vi and then went through the MUI to verify it. After that I went back to the VC 2.0.1 and tried to look at the configuration and as it tried to load the server got a red X on it and I could no longer manage it via VC. I have restarted the vpx agent as well as uninstalled it and tried to let VC reinstall. It did reinstall the agents but it still won’t manage it. I was just wondering if anyone knew what to check on the second server.

Thanks,

Kevin

[rmontyq]

Yes! Here is how I lost a 2.4.5 server from VC 2.01: I enabled VMotion on the ESX server to test live migration to a 3.01 system. In order to accomplish that, I disconnected the 2.5.4 server from the Farm it was associated with and attempted to connect it to the same farm as my 3.0.1 ESX servers. At that point I could not re-connect it back to VC, either to the new farm or it's original farm

I tried everything posted everywhere, including the scp of the vxpa agent from VC to the ESX server to no avail.

Unchecking the change license server setting to match that virtual center server settings did the trick! Question is, can anyone explain WHY?

Thank!!

rq