Ben Conner
asked on
vCenter server failed to start
Good morning,
Apparently sometime prior to midnight last night vCenter Server failed to start. It was running so I'm not sure why it stopped to start with.
I have it installed on a Windows Server 2008 R2 box.
I rebooted the box to get a fresh set of error codes, and this is what came back:
The VMware VirtualCenter Server service depends on the VMware Inventory Service service which failed to start because of the following error:
The service has returned a service-specific error code.
The VMware vCenter workflow manager service depends on the VMware VirtualCenter Server service which failed to start because of the following error:
The dependency service or group failed to start.
The VMware Inventory Service service terminated with service-specific error Incorrect function..
The VMware VirtualCenter Server service depends on the VMware Inventory Service service which failed to start because of the following error:
The service has returned a service-specific error code.
The VMware Content Library Service service depends on the VMware VirtualCenter Server service which failed to start because of the following error:
The dependency service or group failed to start.
The first one in the list is the Inventory service. It is configured to log on with the local system account and won't start manually. The services it depends on are all started.
Looking back through the event log, the first issue with VMWare related services started at 9:41 last night with the following:
The VMware Security Token Service service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 1 time(s). The following corrective action will be taken in 30000 milliseconds: Restart the service.
The VMware Identity Management Service service failed to start due to the following error:
The pipe has been ended.
The VMware Security Token Service service depends on the VMware Identity Management Service service which failed to start because of the following error:
The pipe has been ended.
The VMware System and Hardware Health Manager service terminated with the following error:
The system cannot join or substitute a drive to or for a directory on the same drive.
All this is on current software for vCenter. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
--Ben
Apparently sometime prior to midnight last night vCenter Server failed to start. It was running so I'm not sure why it stopped to start with.
I have it installed on a Windows Server 2008 R2 box.
I rebooted the box to get a fresh set of error codes, and this is what came back:
The VMware VirtualCenter Server service depends on the VMware Inventory Service service which failed to start because of the following error:
The service has returned a service-specific error code.
The VMware vCenter workflow manager service depends on the VMware VirtualCenter Server service which failed to start because of the following error:
The dependency service or group failed to start.
The VMware Inventory Service service terminated with service-specific error Incorrect function..
The VMware VirtualCenter Server service depends on the VMware Inventory Service service which failed to start because of the following error:
The service has returned a service-specific error code.
The VMware Content Library Service service depends on the VMware VirtualCenter Server service which failed to start because of the following error:
The dependency service or group failed to start.
The first one in the list is the Inventory service. It is configured to log on with the local system account and won't start manually. The services it depends on are all started.
Looking back through the event log, the first issue with VMWare related services started at 9:41 last night with the following:
The VMware Security Token Service service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 1 time(s). The following corrective action will be taken in 30000 milliseconds: Restart the service.
The VMware Identity Management Service service failed to start due to the following error:
The pipe has been ended.
The VMware Security Token Service service depends on the VMware Identity Management Service service which failed to start because of the following error:
The pipe has been ended.
The VMware System and Hardware Health Manager service terminated with the following error:
The system cannot join or substitute a drive to or for a directory on the same drive.
All this is on current software for vCenter. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
--Ben
Also, just to test, try running the inventory service as a domain admin account, see if that helps
Another good TS doc from VM
https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003926
https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003926
ASKER
Thank you so much! Will take care of that later when I'm back in the office.
--Ben
--Ben
ASKER
What's the difference between the -TP vs the -FP iso patch files?
--Ben
--Ben
ASKER
Just tried the domain admin account; same result.
--Ben
--Ben
Not sure I understand, I haven't seen the FP TP terminology before, and Google came up empty :(
ASKER
Just looked at the descriptions to the two links on the 6.0b iso files; both refer to patching the vCenter server appliance. The install I have is the one for Windows instead. ?
--Ben
--Ben
ASKER
In myvmware, I see a VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Update 2 and Modules for Windows. Is that the 6.0b version?
You would need to check, but I think that appliance patch's would still apply to VC, but you may need to get the right versions.
I have a fire here I have to put out, if you need more attention right now, please "Request attention" above. otherwise I will look at this some more later, sorry :(
The trick here is getting that service to start, so chase that thread...
I have a fire here I have to put out, if you need more attention right now, please "Request attention" above. otherwise I will look at this some more later, sorry :(
The trick here is getting that service to start, so chase that thread...
ASKER
No worries. I'm 50 miles away from that server now, so making patches remotely has never been my first choice. :)
--Ben
--Ben
Before you START randomly patching....
Are you using SQL Express database?
Is this vCenter 6.0?
Are you using SQL Express database?
Is this vCenter 6.0?
ASKER
It is vCenter 6.0; I do see a version of the VIM_UMDB db under a SQL Express installation.
--Ben
--Ben
Okay to add confusion VUM uses SQL Express vCenter can use either or its own Posters database
Restart the entire server.
Restart the entire server.
ASKER
Did that already; same result.
I did see a Postgres service as well. It is running.
I created a DVD of the newer build and tried the upgrade. It went through until it got to the VCSServiceManager service and failed with an error code of 1603. It backed everything out and created log zip files.
--Ben
I did see a Postgres service as well. It is running.
I created a DVD of the newer build and tried the upgrade. It went through until it got to the VCSServiceManager service and failed with an error code of 1603. It backed everything out and created log zip files.
--Ben
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ASKER
Yeah, that sounds like a really good idea. And in my case, I don't care about historical performance data.
Will back everything out and start fresh.
Thanks!
--Ben
Will back everything out and start fresh.
Thanks!
--Ben
You may want to consider the Appliance!
ASKER
I did use it for a while but ran into the issue of vCenter being on the host I was trying to upgrade. I have the basic package so I don't have access to vMotion. With a separate physical box, I can manage the two hosts I have independently.
--Ben
--Ben
The rebuild sounds like a good way to go, but I would have liked to seen what the problem is. But it is too often the case that we need it to work more then we need to know, so rebuild it is.
My ¢2,
Do not use the appliance. I have in the past, and with my current experience, it will work. BUT I far and away prefer a separate piece of hardware for the VC (and DC's and DNS, at least primaries). More then once I have had problems with hosts, and the appliance made things much harder then they needed to be.
P.S. My hat off to Andrew, I know he is an excellent expert.
My ¢2,
Do not use the appliance. I have in the past, and with my current experience, it will work. BUT I far and away prefer a separate piece of hardware for the VC (and DC's and DNS, at least primaries). More then once I have had problems with hosts, and the appliance made things much harder then they needed to be.
P.S. My hat off to Andrew, I know he is an excellent expert.
Problem is life is too short dealing with buggy software where the vendor has NO control over Windows with updates!
ASKER
Yes, I'm faced with that decision when my webserver locks up. I can spend a half hour collecting information and poking around, or I can restart it and give my clients their sites back. There's no contest there.
The R&R worked beautifully. The only hassle was getting Veeam to recognize the new vCenter server install. They have a utility to migrate an old one to a new one but it is... touchy...at best. Just went ahead and redefined the jobs in it I run pointing to the fresh install.
Thanks much!
--Ben
The R&R worked beautifully. The only hassle was getting Veeam to recognize the new vCenter server install. They have a utility to migrate an old one to a new one but it is... touchy...at best. Just went ahead and redefined the jobs in it I run pointing to the fresh install.
Thanks much!
--Ben
https://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere6/doc/vsphere-vcenter-server-600b-release-notes.html