Login to VCSA VAMI not possible

To manage a vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) there’s a special user interface called Virtual Appliance Management Infrastructure (VAMI). You can access it by entering the FQDN of your vCenter into a browser, followed by port 5480.

https://<mycenterFQDN>:5480

This UI helps you to monitor your vCenter Virtual Appliance. You can change basic settings, apply updates and watch system status.

After updating a VCSA to the latest version of vCenter, I had to reboot the appliance. After the reboot process had finished, I wasn’t able to login to VAMI. Sometimes services need quite some time to become available, but even waiting for a longer period of time (a cup of coffee) nothing happened. VAMI presented a login screen, so obviously the webserver was up and running. But each time I entered the (correct) credentials I got the message “unable to login”. Screenshot is in German but you’ll most likely get the point ;-).

Translation from German: Unable to login.

25. April 201925. April 2019

NSX 6.4 UI problem with older vCenter versions

I’m a great fan of vSphere-Client a.k.a HTML5 client. The user interface based on project clarity is an eye catcher and the user experience is great. But sometimes you’re forced to use the old Flash based flex-client. Not with latest vCenter Server 6.7 but with older releases like vSphere 6.0.

We were facing compatibility issues between flex-client 6.0 and NSX 6.4.4 although it’s a supported combination.

26. February 2019

ESXi host restore with obstacles

Unable to re-join EVC cluster after restore of ESXi system

Changing boot media of ESXi hosts (unfortunately) has become a routine job. It is based on the fact, that many flash media have a limited lifespan. To be fair, I need to point out that many customers use (cheap and dirty) USB flash sticks as boot media. But what is good in a homelab, turns out to be a bad idea in enterprise environments.

The usual procedure for media replacement is fairly simple:

export host configuration
evacuate and shut down host
prepare fresh boot medium with installation ISO that has the same or lower patchlevel as the old installation
boot freshly installed host
apply (intermediate) IP address if no DHCP available
restore host configuration
re-connect to cluster
apply patches if neccessary

So far so good. But last week I had a nasty experience with a recovered ESXi host. Continue reading “ESXi host restore with obstacles”

24. October 2018

vCenter and AD Domain Functional Level

If you’re running a vCenter appliance with Active Directory integration you should take care about your Domain Functional Level. It is crucial to closely work together with the domain administrators team, for some vCenter versions may not support the latest level supported by Windows Server 2016.

What is the Domain Functional Level?

Functional levels determine the available Active Directory Domain Services domain capabilities. They also determine which Windows Server operating systems you can run on domain controllers in the domain or forest. Choosing a Functional Level of Windows Server 2012 implies that there can’t be any Domain Controllers prior that level (like Server 2008 R2).

Functional levels do not affect which operating systems you can run on workstations or servers that are joined to the domain.

Set the domain and forest functional levels to the highest value that your environment can support. This way, you can use as many ADS features as possible. Continue reading “vCenter and AD Domain Functional Level”