Fresh install of VCSA 7.0.3-20990077 fails to start all services at lookup service

[909parkay]

Fresh install of VCSA 7.0.3-20990077, the installer gave the error that phase two wont complete because the VM is not responding and to use the web interface to finish.  The web interface gives a "refused to connect" error.  I have tried stopping and restarting all services and it always fails at the lookup service.  I have checked the hosts file, and nslookup from the vcenter VM command line and they resolve correctly, also the hostname resolves correctly on other machines.  I haven’t been able to find a KB or article that describes my situation exactly nor has a working remedy.  Additionally because the VM is a fresh install and the services have never started before, there are no log files to look at.

After an unsuccessful reattempt at restart I get this error from the service status query.  Any help would be appreciated.

 

 

root@vcenter [ ~ ]# service-control --status --all

Running:

applmgmt lwsmd observability vmafdd vmcad vmdird vmware-envoy vmware-statsmonitor vmware-vdtc vmware-vmon

Stopped:

lookupsvc observability-vapi pschealth vlcm vmcam vmonapi vmware-analytics vmware-certificateauthority vmware-certificatemanagement vmware-cis-license vmware-content-library vmware-eam vmware-hvc vmware-imagebuilder vmware-infraprofile vmware-netdumper vmware-perfcharts vmware-pod vmware-postgres-archiver vmware-rbd-watchdog vmware-rhttpproxy vmware-sca vmware-sps vmware-stsd vmware-topologysvc vmware-trustmanagement vmware-updatemgr vmware-vapi-endpoint vmware-vcha vmware-vpostgres vmware-vpxd vmware-vpxd-svcs vmware-vsan-health vmware-vsm vsphere-ui vstats vtsdb wcp

root@vcenter [ ~ ]#

root@vcenter [ ~ ]#

root@vcenter [ ~ ]# service-control --start lookupsvc

Operation not cancellable. Please wait for it to finish...

Performing start operation on service lookupsvc...

Error executing start on service lookupsvc. Details {

    "detail": [

        {

            "id": "install.ciscommon.service.failstart",

            "translatable": "An error occurred while starting service '%(0)s'",

            "args": [

                "lookupsvc"

            ],

            "localized": "An error occurred while starting service 'lookupsvc'"

        }

    ],

    "componentKey": null,

    "problemId": null,

    "resolution": null

}

Service-control failed. Error: {

    "detail": [

        {

            "id": "install.ciscommon.service.failstart",

            "translatable": "An error occurred while starting service '%(0)s'",

            "args": [

                "lookupsvc"

            ],

            "localized": "An error occurred while starting service 'lookupsvc'"

        }

    ],

    "componentKey": null,

    "problemId": null,

    "resolution": null

}

root@vcenter [ ~ ]#

[MJMVCIX]

Hi, are you setting up a new SSO Domain? Or joining an existing SSO Domain?

Is Time all synchronised, so ESXi host this is deployed on has the same NTP Settings as you entered when deploying the VCSA?

[909parkay]

 Thanks for the reply.  I just started building a small homelab cluster so I do not have an external SSO.  I set the NTP server correctly in the ESX host before running the installer.  

Also worth mentioning there is no way to enter an NTP server from the VCSA GUI installer, it is not one of the parameters you can set.  I was able to set it form the VCSA command line, however that did not fix the issue.

 

[VRO123]

Hope the below VMware article might help you

Lookupservice may fail to start automatically after reboot in vCenter Server 7.0 after upgrade or update, manual start works (89163) (vmware.com)

[909parkay]

 thanks for posting the article i did review it however it does not apply to my situation - there are no log files to check and the services do not start manually

[a_p_]

Can you confirm that the name resolution works as required, i.e. that the vCSA has Forward, and Reverse DNS records configured?

André

[909parkay]

 DNS is correct foward and reverse, checked from multiple devices on the network.  

[909parkay]

   Thanks for chiming in - I finally solved the problem.  It was a routing issue.  I kept running the GUI installer from computers in a different VLAN than the ESX hosts VM network, and I wasnt routing port 5480 between VLANS. The installer would always fail to launch part two.

 

I moved the computer i was running the installer from to the same VLAN as the ESX host VM network and it worked perfectly.  The installer completed part two and vcenter works now.