Error: Failed to configure the VIM account on the host

[SylvainM2011101]

Last week I had a remote ESXi 3.5 host that showed as disconnected in vCenter. I tried to reconnect it and I keep getting an error popup that says

A general system error occurred: Command failed to execute

Failed to configure the VIM account on the host

I tried removing it and re-adding it. It connects and returns info on the VM and datastore and asks to select the datacenter to add to but after that fails with the above popup. Tried restart mgmt services. I can connect directly to the host using the VI client. The vpxuser is there. Tried removing it but then I get "A general system error occurred: Command failed to execute"

Got any ideas?

[kjb007]

Disconnect the host from vCenter, remove the vpxuser, and then re-connect the host. This update/create the vpxuser account.

-KjB

[jmoras]

I am having this exact same issue in vSphere - I have tried both reconnect and remove / add - additionally I did the remove the the vpxuser., restart the agents on the ESX host ( 3.5 ) and re-add - but no luck on anything.

Any help is appreciated

[jbrown]

I've just encountered the same problem after applying Update 1 to 4.0 vCenter server. Two ESX servers are now disconnected and will not reconnect.

Anyone find out any other ways to get it reconnected?

[jbrown]

This sorted the issue out for me.

Restart these two services below then try reconnecting with vCenter.

service vmware-vpxa restart

service mgmt-vmware restart

vCenter connected and then automatically updated the agent on the ESX host.

[jmoras]

My issues were fixed

Removed vpxuser

fixed issue in /etc/pam.d/system-auth file ( my security team added some lines - this was a shell line )

reconnected fine after that.

[Cyberfed27]

jmoras,

I had the same issue as you did. I had made changes to the system-auth file to add some stronger password settings.

I then had to remove the ESXi host from the cluster, when I went to re-add it the system failed with the same error posted in this thread.

I did not have to remove vpxuser

I removed the lines I had added to the system-auth file, rebooted the host. After that it joined the cluster with no issues.

Thanks!