Add Host greyed out

[baj10]

I am logged into a new install of Virtual Center. I can not figure out how to add my ESX server. I finally did find an Option to Add Host... but that is greyed out. I believe my license file is correct. But I can look at whatever any body suggests to get this to work. I have restarted both the ESX server and the VC server. _{thank you in advance}

[WillemB]

Just a startup questionare

Do you have a license covering Virtual Center?

Which licenses have you bought?

What does Virtual Center Admin->License tab say you have licenses for N cpus?

Is your license server running?

Do you have a network interface on which you can find the host?

Does the host work when you directly communicate to it? Or does it not have a license?

As you can see there's much to check

[baj10]

Do you have a license covering Virtual Center?

- I have Virtual Center Management Server Cost 1/server 0 Remaining 1 total in my Licenses section under Admin

Which licenses have you bought?

-I have 1 VC and 2 ESX (only installed one esx license into the vmware.lic file since I only have one ESX currently running)

What does Virtual Center Admin->License tab say you have licenses for N cpus?

-I have the following show up on the licenses tab

VirtualCenter Agent for ESX 1/CPU Package 2 Remaining 2 Total

Vmotion 1/CPU Package 2 Remaining 2 Total

VMware HA 1/CPU Package 2 Remaining 2 Total

VMware DRS 1/CPU Package 2 Remaining 2 Total

ESX Server Standard 1/CPU Package 2 Remaining 2 Total (Unless I have the ESX License Type set to ESX Server Standard on my ESX server box, then the remaining to 0 so I know the license server is setup correctly on the ESX server)

VMware Consolidated Backup 1/CPU Package 2 Remaining 2 Total

Is your license server running?

- Yes, it is running. It is on the same machine as my Virtual Center

Do you have a network interface on which you can find the host?

- Which Host?

Does the host work when you directly communicate to it? Or does it not have a license?

-I can open the VI client to see my ESX server. And I can log on using the VC client but I can't add the Host (my esx server)

-I am all new to VMware, so I hope I answered these questions right.

[mstahl75]

Have you created a Datacenter object yet? You need that first before you start adding hosts to it.

[baj10]

Yes, I have created a Datacenter.

[mstahl75]

And if you select the Datacenter folder, then right-click you don't see the option to add a host?

[WillemB]

You did a good job answering the questions. The last two questions we're badly put.

Reading your answers I can only assume your host has a wrong or no license loaded and won't play. ESX server should work standalone without VC if it can't do that then troubleshooting VC is not going te result in a working system.

Or you have some kind of problem communicating between VC and ESX host. You could verify SSH access and common ports like 902 from your VC machine to your ESX host. (Did you have direct access?? no firewalls??)

Hope you figure it out soon

[baj10]

I see the option to Add Host but it is greyed out. It must be something with my licensing. My ESX host is functioning normally but it can't talk I guess to the VC.

[mstahl75]

I'm not really sure that is the case. The only license I could see giving you that problem would be the VirtualCenter license itself and you mentioned above that you had it. Unless you have a trial version and not the full one. If that is the case you should be able to look in the license file and see an expiration date on it (it's been a while since I looked at one but I think they list the expiration date and not the date provided).

I currently don't have any free licenses available and I can add hosts on my VirtualCenter install. That's why I don't think it is a licensing problem (except possibly in the above case).

[ejward]

I'm thinking it's a permissions thing. With licensing, you should be able to add a host but, you'll get licensing errors when you try to do anything with that host. And the only reason I say permissions is because I have a similar issue now. Even though I assign administrator rights to an ID, I get the effective rights of VM-User.

Give this a try if you can:

Create a test ID in Active Directory. Add this ID to the local administrator's group of the Virtual Center server. This will give you God-like rights in VC. To me, this seems like a big gaping security hole but .... it's useful in testing stuff like this. If you log into VC with that ID and you can add the host, it's a permissions thing.

[baj10]

That was it! I tried adding the user to the Local Admins and that didn't work. But I logged off the server, logged in under the Administrator account on the domain, then logged on the VC at Administrator and everything was there. I could add a host. So I'll have to mess around with these permissions.

I guess I didn't think of that since I am an administrator on the domain, and the domain admins group is in the Local Admin group...This should be fun figuring out.

[mstahl75]

Sorry I didn't think of that. One thing to note, permissions follow the most restrictive route. If you have your account, which might normally be an admin account, and add it to a VC role that has lesser rights you will end up with those lesser rights.

[ejward]

I guess I didn't think of that since I am an administrator on the domain, and the domain admins group is in the Local Admin group...This should be fun figuring out.

Good luck. I've got an open SR on my problem and Vmware can't even figure it out.