Vcenter Remote Console - The server name could not be resolved

[scottbing]

When I Launch the remote console from the web-based Vcenter utility, a new web page opens to display the console but I get the following error:

“The server name could not be resolved.”

Here is a screenshot:

Here is the URL that the remote console is trying to display:

https://172.16.1.1:9943/vsphere-client/vmrc/vmrc.jsp?vm=urn:vmomi:VirtualMachine:vm-105:A5FB093-945A-4288-8DC1-4C64B0E4D4D9

I am a community college student working toward a VCP5-DCV Certification.  We are using the VMware Network Academy Netlab facility. I have no access to the Windows-based Vcenter client.  I only have access to the web-based Vcenter client.

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

can you confirm that you are albe to reslove the ESXi host's FQDN "esxi-1.vmedcu.com" from your client? If you can't and you don't have access to the DNS server, add the ESXi host to /etc/hosts.

André

[scottbing]

I cannot directly access the esxi-1.vmeduc.com host to check the /etc/hosts file; however I was able to execute an nslookup command against the hostname 'esxi-1.vmeduc.com' from the lab's vcenter-1 interface and it was found and it reported the correct ip addresses for the esxi-1 server and the DNS server

here is a screenshot:

I have a very limited topography to work with in the lab.  These are the only interfaces I have to work with...

The vclient is the vcenter web client, unfortunately not the window's-based client...

scott

[a_p_]

>>> I cannot directly access the esxi-1.vmeduc.com host to check the /etc/hosts file

I'm actually talking about the client on which you are running the web browser. The client needs to be able to resolve the ESXi host's name.

André

[scottbing]

Hi Andre,

I added an entry into the /etc/hosts file for the esxi-1.vmeduc.com host on the server where I am trying to launch the remote console, and i got the same error:  'server name could not be resolved'

I was able to ping the esxi-1.vmeduc.com host by name and by IP Address from the server where I am attempting to launch the console.

I also verified that I had the correct information in the /etc/hosts by doing a series of reverse ARPA commands with nslookup.

I also shutdown the entire topology (all of the equipment in the pod) and restarted it with no luck.

scott...

[scottbing]

Andre,

Is there a log file that I could examine for possible error messages?

scott...

[a_p_]

I'm not sure about a log file. Anyway, I had to setup a vSphere 5.5 environment for a customer without using a DNS server. What I ended up with was to edit the ESXi host's, the vCenter Server's as well as the client's /etc/hosts files adding IP FQDN hostname of the vCenter Server and the ESXi hosts. In the vCenter's /etc/hosts file I also removed the vCenter Server name from the localhost line.

André

[scottbing]

Many Many Thanks Andre!  The Launch Console works.  After I removed the localhost entries in the vcenter-1 server's /etc/hosts, I successfully brought up the console window.  Of course,  I also had to add an entry for the esxi-1 host in each /etc/hosts file.

The console worked just fine.  I was able to log in and issue Linux commands; however....

The only remaining issue I have is that the console comes up in "Full Screen Mode" by default and I can't seem to get it out of full screen mode.  It locks up the whole vclient utility.  Is there any way to tell the Launch console to come up in non-full screen mode by defualt?  Is there a remote console setting that controls "Full Screen Mode".

scott...

[a_p_]

>>> After I removed the localhost entries in the vcenter-1 server's /etc/hosts

Just to make sure, only remove the vcenter Server hostname from the localhost entry, but leave the localhost entry (127.0.0.1 localhost) in place.

I'm not familiar with Chrome, but I guess there is some kind of setting in the browser to open the console in a tab!?

André

[scottbing]

André,

I restored the localhost entries to the vcenter server's /etc/host file.  The console displays in a separate web window; however it doesn't seem to recognize any of the special keyboard characters.  The console takes over the entire vcenter screen.  I cannot exit form the console.  I have to stop and start the vclient service to free it up.  I can open up a separate forum thread on this.

scott...