Problems after installing vCenter 5.1a - No vCenter Server found

[BillSylvester]

Sorry, I'm new at this and I'm having a problem installing vCenter 5.1a on Windows Server 2008 R2 using the simple install.  After completing the install without any errors, I start up the vSphere Web Client, log in and it comes up with no vCenter servers and a message that says "To get started install either a vCenter Server system or obtain access permission to an existing vCenter Server system."  I'm on my 4th time though and it's consistant in result, so I figure I should ask.

If it matters, the Windows Server is not a member of Active Directory, the DNS works forward and reverse, I tried both the IP address and the fqdn.

I'm not sure where to being troubleshooting this.  This is my first vCenter installation. I've checked all of the services and they are running.

I have looked at some log files and it seems pretty clear that something is trying to talk to something and is being refused, but I have no idea why.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks

This is the eam.log

INFO | 2012-11-05 16:47:27,165 | eam-0 | VcConnection.java | 128 | Connecting to vCenter as the com.vmware.vim.eam extension

INFO | 2012-11-05 16:47:27,898 | eam-0 | VcConnection.java | 224 | Connecting to https://sdkTunnel:8089/sdk/vimService via vCenter proxy http://localhost:80

ERROR | 2012-11-05 16:47:30,269 | eam-0 | VcConnection.java | 267 | Error communicating with the vCenter server Cause: org.apache.http.conn.HttpHostConnectException: Connection to http://localhost:80 refused

ERROR | 2012-11-05 16:47:30,269 | eam-0 | VcListener.java | 309 | No connection to vCenter server - retrying in 10 seconds

This is the vws.log

[2012-11-05 16:49:47,565 VwsInit  INFO  com.vmware.vim.vws.VwsContextListener] Started VWS.

[2012-11-05 16:49:49,031 Thread-24  ERROR com.vmware.vim.vimclient.VimClientFactory] Creating VC client failed, retrying

com.vmware.vim.vmomi.client.exception.ConnectionException: org.apache.http.conn.HttpHostConnectException: Connection to http://localhost:80 refused

[ ... snip ...]

caused by: org.apache.http.conn.HttpHostConnectException: Connection to http://localhost:80 refused

[ ... snip ...]

Caused by: java.net.ConnectException: Connection refused: connect

[ ... snip ...]

[2012-11-05 16:50:15,255 Thread-25  ERROR com.vmware.vim.cimmonitor.qs.provider.impl.QsHelperImpl] Vim configuration exception occurred while creating a provider client

com.vmware.vim.vimclient.exception.VimConfigException: VC client creation failed, retries in progress

at com.vmware.vim.vimclient.VimClientFactory.getVmomiClient(VimClientFactory.java:124)

at com.vmware.vim.cimmonitor.qs.provider.impl.QsHelperImpl.createProviderClient(QsHelperImpl.java:428)

at com.vmware.vim.cimmonitor.qs.provider.impl.QsHelperImpl.access$000(QsHelperImpl.java:63)

at com.vmware.vim.cimmonitor.qs.provider.impl.QsHelperImpl$1.run(QsHelperImpl.java:296)

at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)

[Bartmosss]

Same thing here... I even joined my vCenter to the domain if it could help with no success.

Do you have the warning about nslookup not resolving the fqdn. I have this error even if the resolution work in forward and reverse with nslookup.

I did a network trace with wireshark, I can see 3 dns request, the first one for a name called fake912123123.domain.com. The number are changing at every install. The answer is obvious.. not exist... The other 2 dns request ar reverse for domain controller and vcenter and both are OK.

Don't worry if it is your first vCenter installation... I work for a VMware Partner and I install vCenter almost every week since 4 years and it is my first installation as shitty than this.

I have a SR openned with VMware... I will update as soon as I have news.

[BillSylvester]

Thanks.

I had a number of messages in my attempts.  I believe the last try I had a warning about using an IP address instead of the fqdn since the IP address might change. I did get a warning about the fqdn but it wasn't anything that made me worry, just an "huh, ok fine". Sorry I didn't write it down.

My first attempt was with the first release of 5.1, that was a mess. So I installed SQL Server express by hand, created the data bases according to the manual and got the rest installed.  No luck. I got the 5.1a release, uninstalled everything, reinstalled, the installation went well. But no luck.  These two attempts were done with the machine joined to a domain and using the fqdn.

After that, I thought that maybe the first 5.1 install was so messed up I should start on a clean machine. So this time I used a non-AD machine and the fqdn and the last time was with the ip address.

Same results all 4 attempts.

I thought about following the blog for self-signed certificates but I'm going to work on other stuff first.

Thanks again, I'm looking forward to your post.

[HX5 · Accepted solution]

During the simple Installation method of vCenter Server 5.1 it will first install the SSO part. During that part, it will ask you to create a password for a user called admin@system-domain. Please note that this user is only for managing permissions inside the SSO. Thats why you can't see any vCenter instance in SSO. After finishing the installation of SSO, the vCenter Server setup will lauch. During the installation, the wizard will ask you about the previously configured password for the user admin@system-domain, enter it and click next.

Second, On the next prompt you need to enter a domain global, a local group or user that will be recognized by the SSO service as the vCenter administrator. Then complete the installation. At the end, make sure that the registry key "Port SSL" under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ADAM_VMwareVCMSDS\Parameters is a REG_DWORD with a decimal value of 636.

See: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=102386...

After that, open the vSphere Client or the webclient, enter the FQDN of your vCenter Server and and a user name/password (DOMAIN\User), which has the permission as the vCenter administrator as mentioned in the second part.

Hope this helps.

Regards.

Marc

[Bartmosss]

Thanks for your help...

I solved the problems, I needed to add some autorisation.

[BillSylvester]

Thanks,

I was indeed using the wrong username to log in to the vCenter Web Client.  After using a username in the group that was specified it worked just fine.

[unixmorris]

Hi There!

I have the kind of same problem,

My vSphere vCenter Infrastructure is:

- One SQL Server VM (windows 2008 R2)

- One SSO Server VM (windows 2008 R2)

- One vCenter Server with Inventory Services and Web Client Server (windows 2008 R2)

My situation today I try to log-in to my vCenter Web Client and show me the message "To get started, either install a vCenter Server, or obtain access permission to an existing vCenter Server system." but the weird thing is that I can use the Windows vSphere Client and all the permissions are OK, I have permissions at Domain level, I've tried to log-in with admin@system-domain -> not work, administrator@mydomain.com -> not work, I've tried the following things:

1.- On web client: I went to "Administration" -> "SSO Users and Groups" -> "Groups tab" -> "__Administrators__" -> "Add Principals" -> add "admin@System-Domain" and restart the Web Client, it didn't work

2.- Re-install "Inventory Services" and "Web client" restart all vCenter infrastructure but it didn't work

3.- Reconfigure SSO on my Web Client, using the client-repoint.bat; C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\vSphereWebClient\scripts\client-repoint.bat https://<my_SSO_IP>:7444/lookupservice/sdk admin my_sso_pass, but it didn't work

4.- Install a new Web Client on a different VM and pointing at existing SSO, it didn't work :'(

I have no Idea what more I can do, I think is a SSO problem but I don't know how to check it, I think SSO doesn't provide the vCenter information to the Web Client.

Any idea?

Please help me guys!

[raog]

Does your VC have the required permission given to the user you are trying to login with? By default, the admin@system-domain is NOT given permission to access VC unless you used specified this user during the time of VC install.

Regards

Girish

[unixmorris]

Hi Raog,

The VC has the permissions to the user and the group (in my case "ESX Admins") the weird thing is before when I have problems with permissions I can log-in with admin@system-domain and it works, I'm attaching the screen shots, perhaps it can helps.

Thanks for the reply.

Best regards.

[raog]

That is just the startup screen and shows up a generic message i think.. If I am unable to connect to any VC, it shows up in the top on Web client

.

If you click on vcenter, do you not see your VC there?

Regards

Girish

[unixmorris]

Hi Raog,

Thanks for replay, actually if I click the vCenter link shows me no vCenters, I'm attaching the screenshot.

Best regards.

[raog]

Can you try giving this user permissions explicitly and not via the group?

Regards

Girish

[MGaedker]

Did you add your windows-user which you used to install to the permissionlist?