ESXi 8 and vSphere Replication - host based

[anothervsphereu]

Has something changed with vSphere Replication in ESXi 8?  Has a native replication provider been included in ESXi 8?

I am running vR 8.8.0 build 23166679.  When added a new ESXi 8 host to vCenter, I can see some sort of certificate trying to be pushed to the host and then I get this error from vCenter / vSphere Replication that repeats every two minutes until I remove the host from inventory.

A generic error occurred in the vSphere Replication Management Server. Exception details: 'Unexpected status code: 503'.

One other ESXi 8 host that I have added, seems to work correctly with no errors, but in the vSphere Replication GUI, I can see this host is registered and connected as a Replication server, and it says it is Host Based.

Anyone have any ideas?

[Casey]

vSphere Replication has seen some changes with ESXi 8, particularly in terms of how replication is handled and integrated. The error you're experiencing, along with the mention of a native replication provider, points to some of these changes.

Key Changes in vSphere Replication with ESXi 8

1. Native Replication Provider:

   • ESXi 8 introduces a native replication provider, which allows for more integrated and efficient replication processes. This native provider can manage replication tasks directly without relying solely on external vSphere Replication appliances.

2. Certificates and Security:

   • Enhanced security measures mean that certificates are more tightly controlled and managed. The process you're seeing, where a certificate is pushed to the host, is part of this improved security framework.

3. Host-Based Replication:

   • With the native replication provider, hosts can now be registered and function as replication servers directly. This host-based replication is likely what you're seeing in the vSphere Replication GUI.

Troubleshooting Steps

Given the error and symptoms you're experiencing, here are some steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Check Certificate Validity and Trust:

   • Ensure that the certificates being pushed to the ESXi 8 host are valid and trusted. This might involve checking the certificate chain and confirming that the vCenter and ESXi hosts trust each other's certificates.

2. Verify vSphere Replication Configuration:

   • Make sure that the vSphere Replication appliance is correctly configured to work with ESXi 8 hosts. This might involve checking version compatibility and configuration settings in the vSphere Replication Management Server.

3. Review Logs for Detailed Errors:

   • Look at the vSphere Replication logs for more detailed error messages that might provide clues. The logs can usually be found in the vSphere Replication Management Server and the ESXi host logs.

4. Network Configuration:

   • Verify that network settings and firewall rules are correctly configured to allow communication between vSphere Replication components and the ESXi 8 hosts. Network issues can sometimes cause unexpected errors like the one you're seeing.

5. Update vSphere Replication Appliance:

   • Ensure that your vSphere Replication appliance is running the latest version compatible with ESXi 8. Sometimes updates include fixes for newly introduced issues or compatibility improvements.

6. Check Host-Based Replication Registration:

   • For the host that is registered as a replication server, ensure that all settings are correctly configured and that it's correctly integrated into the replication infrastructure.

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