install staf on vcenter 6.5

[WTK9E5]

Hi, I'm using workbench installation helper to install staf on my VMs, the storage certification guide says I am suppose to install STAF on the vcenter vm.

However, I get the following error:

I've also tried changing default login shell to bash, but then I receive this error on staf install attempt:

[daphnissov]

Can you provide a link to this storage certification guide?

vCenter (Server Appliance) does not support you installing any third-party software inside of it. I'm not exactly sure what document is saying you should do that, but to be fully supported (and not cause potential issues) you should not be.

[WTK9E5]

this is vmware's own storage certification guide, asking for installation for STAF on vcenter and all of the virtual machines involved in a series of tests for certification.

I dont think im allowed the share the document, I certainly cannot link it as its not publicly available...its only available on vmware code via partner network

[daphnissov]

I am a partner and so have access if you want to provide a link or how to find it. I don't mind testing in a lab environment on my end.

[admin]

Mware unfortunately does not support the installation of third party software onto the Virtual Center appliance.For assistance in doing so, and getting it to work properly, you'd have to check with vendor  support team,

Regards

Randhir

[WTK9E5]

greatly appreciated

https://code.vmware.com/group/storage/certs/6.5

https://code.vmware.com/doc/preview?id=3981

In the documentation under the "Required Hardware" section, it shows:

A third ESXi host to run vCenter Server on a virtual machine with STAF installed:

Also under user parameters:

Thanks, i will also reach out to the vendor team

[daphnissov]

What program are you a member (as a partner)? OEM? It turns out, even as TAP, I don't have access which I have now requested. Hopefully they'll come back and tell me something.

[daphnissov]

It appears this is the SDDC Foundation program of which I'm not a member and I probably won't be able to get on-board. Sorry, but I tried.

[ixPaul]

What was the solution to this? I'm seeing the same issue when trying to install STAF on the vcenter host from workbench.

[giljo11778]

Did anyone find a solution to this?  I have a similar issue, I can install from rpm the STAF software but it does not run on vcenter Server Appliance 6.5. There seems to be no other way to install it.

[TrebleRebel]

I managed to get it working after trying about everything I could think of. I can tell you what doesn't work is having the VCSA VM as part of your VM test targets and using the workbench installation helper to install STAF and also trying to install STAF from an rpm manaully - workbench just keeps writing over it, you end up with the same error / problems. You need to get workbench to install STAF when you start a test run, that's the only option that seemed to work for me, as per the VMware docs you need the VCSA on a 3rd physical.

You also definitely need to setup DNS so workbench can resolve all your hostnames - use 'nslookup' to check, disable all firewalls as well.

I'm not sure if you have the same issue as me, for me the problem was a persmissions issue I think, at the moment I dare not backtrack and check seeing as my test environment works now.

So open up a SSH session to your VCSA and monitor the messages with 'journalctl -f', start a new workbench test run and see what errors you get, the error I had was "Nov 06 15:51:47 wbtestvcsa vpxd[4361]: Event [1570] [1-1] [2018-11-06T15:51:47.480952Z] [vim.event.NoAccessUserEvent] [error] [root] [] [1570] [Cannot login user root@172.17.118.130: no permission ]".

So solution I believe is that 'root' needs to be added as a user to UI administrators group. I'd be interested whether this is indeed the solution.

[ixPaul]

The solution here is you do not need to have STAF on vcenter. I had to find this out by opening a SR with Vmware. That snippet from the cert guide is incorrect.

I did get past this error by doing the same thing as TrebleRebel ie: giving the root user full UI admin and using that for login in the workbench parameters.