VMware Cloud Community
JimmyPhillips
Contributor
Contributor

Horizon Broker Agent for vROPS and Microsoft .NET Framework Unhandled Exception Error

The Horizon Broker Agent is no longer sending data to the Horizon adapter on the vROPS. This stopped working suddenly.

When I open the "vRealize Operations for Horizon Broker Agent Setting" on the connection broker, I am getting a pop-up message from Microsoft .Net Framework:

pastedImage_0.png

I tried to continue but the window pops up blank with no information.

pastedImage_1.png

No matter what I do. I get the unhandled exception error message.

Here are the details:

See the end of this message for details on invoking

just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************

System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

   at com.vmware.vrops.v4common.baseservices.audit.Logger.WriteLine(TraceLevel level, String fmt, Object[] args)

   at ViewBrokerAgentConfigUtil.MainForm.OnLoad(EventArgs e)

   at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnCreateControl()

   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)

   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl()

   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(Message& m)

   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)

   at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(Message& m)

   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

************** Loaded Assemblies **************

mscorlib

    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0

    Win32 Version: 4.8.4069.0 built by: NET48REL1LAST_B

    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework64/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll

----------------------------------------

v4v_BrokerAgentCfg

    Assembly Version: 6.6.0.12917

    Win32 Version: 6.6.0.12917

    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/VMware/vRealize%20Operations%20for%20Horizon/Broker%20Agent/bin/v4v_brokeragentcfg.exe

----------------------------------------

System.Windows.Forms

    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0

    Win32 Version: 4.8.4042.0 built by: NET48REL1LAST_C

    CodeBase: file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll

----------------------------------------

System

    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0

    Win32 Version: 4.8.4001.0 built by: NET48REL1LAST_C

    CodeBase: file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll

----------------------------------------

System.Drawing

    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0

    Win32 Version: 4.8.3761.0 built by: NET48REL1

    CodeBase: file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll

----------------------------------------

System.Configuration

    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0

    Win32 Version: 4.8.3761.0 built by: NET48REL1

    CodeBase: file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll

----------------------------------------

System.Core

    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0

    Win32 Version: 4.8.4069.0 built by: NET48REL1LAST_B

    CodeBase: file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Core/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Core.dll

----------------------------------------

System.Xml

    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0

    Win32 Version: 4.8.3761.0 built by: NET48REL1

    CodeBase: file:///C:/windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll

----------------------------------------

v4_broker_agent

    Assembly Version: 6.6.0.961

    Win32 Version: 6.6.0.961

    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/VMware/vRealize%20Operations%20for%20Horizon/Broker%20Agent/bin/v4_broker_agent.DLL

----------------------------------------

v4_commonutils

    Assembly Version: 6.6.0.961

    Win32 Version: 6.6.0.961

    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/VMware/vRealize%20Operations%20for%20Horizon/Broker%20Agent/bin/v4_commonutils.DLL

----------------------------------------

v4_appvolume_ext

    Assembly Version: 6.6.0.0

    Win32 Version: 6.6.0.0

    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/VMware/vRealize%20Operations%20for%20Horizon/Broker%20Agent/bin/v4_appvolume_ext.DLL

----------------------------------------

v4v_viewapiconnector

    Assembly Version: 6.6.0.12917

    Win32 Version: 6.6.0.12917

    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/VMware/vRealize%20Operations%20for%20Horizon/Broker%20Agent/bin/v4v_viewapiconnector.DLL

----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************

To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this

application or computer (machine.config) must have the

jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.

The application must also be compiled with debugging

enabled.

For example:

<configuration>

    <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />

</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception

will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer

rather than be handled by this dialog box.

12 Replies
saurav1414
Contributor
Contributor

I have the same issue. Did you found the solution? My VRops stopped working at the same time and not able to collect the data from broker. I suppose the time stamp is same as your.

Did you perform windows update on broker over last couple of days

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DanofreIqor
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Windows Updates at 2 am 12/28/2019

Agent stopped collecting stats at the same time.  Looks like KB4523206 seems to have changed something in .NET.

KB4523206 is uninstallable

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DanofreIqor
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I have a case open. Ill let you know the outcome.

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bnagabhushan
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

This could be caused by an expired certificate used to sign the vRealize Operations for Horizon broker agent.

can you try to re-install your respective broker agent versions and check if the issue still exists:

V4H-660-GA: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?productId=475&rPId=38396&downloadGroup=V4H-660-GA

V4H-670-GA: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?productId=475&rPId=38396&downloadGroup=V4H-670-GA

NOTE: Please take a snapshot before making any changes.

saurav1414
Contributor
Contributor

Hi bnagabhushan

Thanks for the suggestion.

But I don't think so re installing the same version can fix the problem. Though we already installed the version.

Currently we are using version 6.5 for VHA adapter and broker agent with build version  as mentioned below and I don't see further update or released from vmware.

Also I read a post in this link and one of the contribute in the discussion mentioned about the SHA1 certificate expire for the version the are using i.e. 6.6.0-9844216 and vmware provided them with new version as quoted below.

"Carl – FYI there is a problem with the version 6.6.0-9844216 V4H Adapter and Broker agent. The SHA1 digital signing cert for these expired on 12/21/2019, and they have stopped working. We opened VMware case 19090832912 on 12/27, and they provided a new version (6.6.0-15369289) of both of these products, which seem to work fine. The signature on the new binaries is from 12/25/2019, so this must be hot off the presses."

https://www.carlstalhood.com/vmware-vrealize-operations-for-horizon-6-5/

Any way to check the expiry status of certificate sign the vRealize Operations for Horizon broker agent?

Any leads will be helpful?

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DanofreIqor
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Here is what I got. My biggest challenge is that I cannot move off of 6.5 due to the View 6.2.3 backend we are monitoring as we migrate to View 7.10. Seems that this was remedied in a patch to vROPs 6.6. But I cannot move to that level and vROPS 6.5 is EOL.

I can confirm receipt of 'BrokerAgentLogs1220.zip'. Based on the broker agent logs and the message you receive when you attempt to start the broker agent, the desktop agent logs won't be necessary anyways, so we can leave them be. The previous comments in the case about the Broker Agent's signing certificate being expired were correct. I have done some additional research on my end around this issue, and can confirm that we have it as a new known issue with a KB and patch already created for our currently supported versions.

Horizon Broker Agent Certificate Expired in vRealize Operation

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/76683

Because the issue is that the certificate that signed the Broker Agent package is expired, there is no way we will be able to resolve this without a patch of the Broker Agent signed with a new certificate. Engineering has created this patch for the 6.6.0 and the 6.7.0 versions of the solution, however because 6.5 expired in March of last year (03/21/2019), there has not been a patch made for this version. It's possible that the certificate could have expired while the service was running, which would leave the service running without issue. It wouldn't have been discovered that there was an issue until the Broker Agent was restarted, at which point its integrity would have been checked against this, now expired, certificate. This could be why it seemed it was the Windows updates that triggered this: coincidence.

Unfortunately, rebuilding or rolling back will both result in this failing because the expiration of the signing certificate will not have changed and has passed. I've got an ask with the engineering team tasked with this issue put in just now to get the official stance on what we can do for 6.5 as it is still within support as far as technical guidance is concerned. I can let you know as soon as I get that update. If they come back with a patch, we should be able to plug that in to get this taken care of. If they come back saying they will not make one, I suspect the only recommendation I'll be able to make is to upgrade the solution.

DanofreIqor
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

This is fixed by VMW for 6.6. and 6.7. Not 6.5 because it is EOL for support.

I upgraded .NET to 4.8 and used the Broker Agent to version 6.6. The wizard kept all settings except for 1 server out of 12 PODs.

I did not upgrade vROPS to 6.6 nor did I upgrade the vROPS collector PAK. I just did the broker agent on the view connection server. Seems to have done the trick. At times it seems unstable and the collector reports that it has not received data in a few collections. I will monitor overnight.

This crutch gets my vROPS back up so I can continue VDI migrations to a new View build and to my new vROPS 7.5 build.

Hope this helps someone and I hope VMW engineering will get back to me with a fix for the 6.5 agent broker despite it being EOL.

saurav1414
Contributor
Contributor

JimmyPhillips

We were able to figure out the issue. We were using the version 6.5 vrops and SHA1 certificate expired for that on 12/21/2019. We did the windows patching on 28 DEC and it exposed the view broker services and we got this error on Broker server and VROPS stopped working.

Solution to this issue is: If you are using Vrops 6.6 or higher version  you need to go to the vmware site and download the patched version of horizon broker agent.

Re-installing the same version won't fix the issue you have to download the patched version from vmware site as mentioned by bnagabhushan

V4H-660-GA: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?productId=475&rPId=38396&downloadGroup=V4H-660-GA

V4H-670-GA: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?productId=475&rPId=38396&downloadGroup=V4H-670-GA

If you are using 6.5 version then you can download the 6.6 version to fix the issue temporary as mentioned by DanofreIqor

But you are at mercy of VMware if they release the patch for Vrops 6.5 VROPS broker agent.

Please mark the answer if this is helpful

DanofreIqor
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Support provided an EOL fix for broker agent 6.5. Worked as well as using the 6.6 broker agent with vROPs 6.5.

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ooajala
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Seeing that I have the same issue with the .NET unhandled exception. I was running vROPs 6.6 and View Adapter 6.5.1 with the broker agent 6.5.1 also. Just this past two weeks I have been having the issue. What made me realize it was that a couple of PODs were not reporting the usual number of connected sessions.

So I decided to just upgrade my vROPs to 6.7 and View Adapter to 6.6 with the broker agent to 6.6 as well.

However, when attempting to install the 6.6 broker agent, it just doesn't run at all. When I run the previous 6.5 .exe, it runs.

What do you guys think the issue is?

NOTE: The server is already running .NET 4.7  which is over the recommended 4.6.2.

--
*** If you like my response, please click "Like" below, if you think I answered your question to the best of my abilities, please mark post as Correct Answer ***

3x vROps Environments implemented across my organization. VDI vROPs 8.4 ::: Epic vROPs 8.4 ::: Shared vROPs 7.0
vROPs Adapters in use: EpicCare & Horizon View Adapter 2.1
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vmwmattwong
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

I discovered this exact same issue today in my environment.  I was already running V4H 6.7 since November and didn't know a patch was issued at the end of Dec.

Here is the KB article:  VMware Knowledge Base

I installed the patched version and no more issues.

SamAndrew27
Contributor
Contributor

Horizon Broker Agent Certificate Expired in vRealize Operation

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/76683

^^ This is the fix for this issue, without question. It happens due to an expired .NET Framework certificate. OP should mark this as the answer.

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