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vCenter Infrastructure navigator – re-register vCenter server extension

/ johannstander / Leave a comment

Ran into some issue with our vCenter server recently which caused the refresh icon to keep spinning (updating) and would slow down performance and also could not perform any searches.

VMware support could not figure out the problem but eventioally provided information to investigate our plugins.

Troubleshooting:

Firstly we disable all the plugins and restarted vCenter server appliance services.
This caused the web client to crash whenever we selected the plugins!
Only way I found to fix this is:
–  Create copy of file /etc/vmware-vsphere-client/SerenityDB/serenity/ALL/client.package.states
–  Delete the original file
–  Close all browsers and login again.
–  All plugins should now again show enabled.
( Disclaimer:  I recommend contacting VMware support since this is not supported by VMware so please take snapshot&backup of VM and be careful)

Logged into vCenter Server MOB and unregistered all non-system extension.  This did not seem to fix the problem either but we found that Orchestrator connection was never fixed after we regenerated the certificate for vCenter server.
Not sure this caused our problems or the reset and deletion of plugins but soon after application was working as expected.

After un-registering plugins we have to of course register vCenter Infrastructure manager again:

Solution:

Log into the vSphere client pointing to the vCenter with the issue.
In top menu select Administration > vCenter Server Settings > Runtime Settings.
Verify the IP is correct for the vCenter you are wanting to monitor.

Shut down Navigator.
– These steps can only be performed from the .net vSphere client.
– Power down the virtual machine, right click the virtual machine from within the vSphere Desktop Client, select Edit Settings.
– Choose the vServices tab, click Edit. Under Provider select .
– Click OK and then OK again.
– Do not re-add it yet.

Log into the MOB for vCenter – https://Vc IP/MOB :
– Open a web browser and navigate to:
https://virtual_center_address/mob
– Click Content.
– Click ExtensionManager.
– Verify com.vmware.vadm is listed as an Extension.
– If listed, copy this string and click UnregisterExtension.
– Paste string into Value box and click Invoke Method.

If vCenter server on Microsoft OS, log in to the vCenter servers and find a similar path to:
C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenterServer\extensions\com.vmware.vadm
– Delete the entire com.vmware.vadm

Add the provider back in:
– Go back to vSphere
–  Right click the virtual machine from within the vSphere Desktop Client, select Edit Settings.
– Choose the vServices tab, click Edit. Under Provider select the one below No Provider.
– Click OK and then OK again.
– Turn the system back on and verify connection.

If not coming up then restart the vSphere web client service

vCOPS: admin alerts for VIN adapter: resources do not receive data from this adapter resource

/ johannstander / Leave a comment

I was getting a lot of admin alarms within vCOPS for VIN adapters not able to receive data for resources.

VIN adapter instance: 200 resources do not receive data from this adapter resource

I believe the primary reason for this is because my vCloud environment is so dynamic with users deleting and creating new VM’s that vCOPS and VIN are not keeping up and non-existent resources are causing the alerts.

By default vCOPS does not delete non-existant resources but I found the following KB 2020638 which provides information on changing the schedule for when deletion of old objects will take place from vCOPS.

Resolution:

I changed the following on analytics VM for file:  /usr/lib/vmware-vcops/user/conf/controller/controller.properties

deleteNotExisting = true
deletionSchedulePeriod = 12
deletionPeriodInHours = 6

restart the analytics server

  • SSH into analytics server and login as admin user
  • vcops-admin restart

This only solved part of the problem for me and I also had to disable access for the VIN user account to the vCloud director cluster so that it does not discover those VM’s.
I have another post which provides information on this:

Links:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2020638

VIN guest operating system management: limited permissions for vcenter server

/ johannstander / Leave a comment

vCenter Infrastructure Navigator has a single account which it uses to access VMs.
This is set within vCenter Server’s infrastructure navigator screen.

I wanted to limit which datacenters inside vCenter Server VIN would be able to see as the functions this account can perform.

Resolution:

Create a guest operating system management role within vCenter Server with minimal privileges for VIN:

  • Navigate to administration
  • Select roles
  • Click add roles
  • Enable the following with checkbox:
    • Virtual machine > Interaction -> Guest operating system management by VIX API 
    • Virtual machine > Interaction -> Console interaction
  • Provide role name
  • On the vCenter entity root level click manage tab
  • Select permissions and add
  • Select user and assign the newly create limited VIN role.

This will provide the necessary privileges to enable the discovery process for user selected.

In my case I also did not want this service account to view my vCloud director datacenter so I added the user to the datacenter permissions with “no access” role.

From inventory menu select Infrastructure navigator.
Select settings tab
Here you can now set the new user account.
Make sure to enable access to VMs