"Bad Input" when entering FQDN for System Name

[KrsityJK]

I'm installing vCenter 6.7 and am on the second part of the Appliance Installation "Install - Stage 2: Set Up vCenter Server Appliance with an Embedded PSC" over the GUI:  https://ipaddress:5480

When I put in either the IP address or the FQDN of the server, hit Next, I get "Bad Input".

Since the IP address alone wouldn't work, I added this server to our lab DNS server and have put the IP of that DNS server both in the CLI interface and in this GUI.  Another host on the same network can resolve the FQDN and IP (PTR record works).

I can't seem to get past this.

This is an installation in our support Lab.  We built the ESXi server first, and am now putting the vCenter on that server. 

Any ideas?  Of course I need this built for my boss by Monday along with other things that depend on this.

Thanks

[daphnissov]

Confused. You sound like you're deploying a new vCSA with embedded PSC. Are you saying after the first stage when you deploy it, you're going to the VAMI (port 5480) and attempting to manually enter this information?

[KrsityJK]

Yes. 

I'm on this screen:  (I added the xx for the last octets to mask our IPs)

[KrsityJK]

I hit Next, it shows it is saving the information, saving host name, then I get this:

[daphnissov]

You need to delete and re-deploy this vCSA because of these reasons:

1. The system name MUST be a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN). Prior to you even launching this installer wizard, you MUST have both forward and reverse DNS entries established in local DNS.
2. A DNS server cannot be a public DNS server (8.8.8.8). The appliance will attempt to look itself up from that server and will ultimately fail. Never point internal infra at public DNS.
3. You're choosing to sync time with the underlying ESXi host. Generally that's not a good idea and you should be using internal NTP (not external NTP). Ensure your ESXi host is point at the same server and the time between that host, your workstation, and the NTP server itself are all in sync. Too much time drift and the installer will fail.

In short, DNS and proper time keeping are extremely important in enterprise infrastructure and for vCenter as well. If one of those pieces is off you'll see failures.

[KrsityJK]

Okay, so setting up the Forward and reverse after the fact won't solve this?  I have them both set up and working.

I have also removed the public DNS server and only had my DNS server in there but that didn't solve the issue.

I'll check the time.  We don't have an NTP server set up so it should only be looking at the ESXi host system for time which was manually set.  I'll confirm it's accurate.  Thanks.

Thanks...I'll try the reinstall and start out with these things. 

[daphnissov]

No, it won't work after the fact. As far as time is concerned, just ensure that all the time among those devices are accurate to within a couple seconds. Any more and it'll usually fail when setting up the PSC.