"Unable to connect to Authorization Service: Failed to connect to Authorization Service: uri: https://xxx.xxx.xxx: 443/invsvc" while vCenter Server 6.0 upgrade

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

vCenter Server 6.0 upgrade throws the following error message during installation:

 

VMware Message Bus Configuration Service failed firstboot. Unable to connect to Authorization Service: Failed to connect to Authorization Service: uri:https://vcenter.ourdomain.com:443/insvc Failed to register with CM Restart Inventory Service to enable the authorization checks

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x

Cause

Checking the inventory service log file during upgrade you can see the service just throwing many java stack traces.

 

The vCenter 5.5 sso identity source for windows integrated auth showed WORKGROUP for the domain.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, after rolling back to vSphere 5.5,

1. Ensure the SSO machine is joined to the domain and connectivity to the domain controller is proper.
2. Restart the VMware Identity Management Service - this will ensure IDM picks up the current domain join state.
3. Using the vSphere Web Client, remove the Active Directory (IWA / machine integrated) identity source.
4. Now add the Active Directory (IWA) identity source - if it auto-detects the domain name as "WORKGROUP", the domain join state is still not correct.

Note: Reboot or rejoining the domain may be needed.

5. Once successfully added, proceed with the vSphere 6.x upgrade.

Additional Information

Restarting the sso service may not be required. First attempt may be to just remove and readd the identity source. If this works and the domain shows up properly then upgrade will work fine.