Template shows as Disconnected in vCenter Server

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• A template shows as Disconnected in vCenter Server
• You cannot remove or reconnect a template that shows as Disconnected

Environment

VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded
VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware ESX Server 3.0.x
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded
VMware ESX Server 3.5.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.0.x
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable

Resolution

Templates are not registered on an ESX/ESXi host the same way as virtual machines. For example, if you run vmware-cmd –l on the host from the Service Console, you do not see the template listed. Instead, the registration is recorded within vCenter Server itself for that host.

When an ESX/ESXi host is reconnected to vCenter Server after becoming disconnected, it refreshes the vCenter Server inventory of virtual machines only. A complete refresh of the vCenter Server inventory is required to correct the status in the vSphere Client. Restarting the VirtualCenter Server service forces a full host sync on all objects that it knows about, including templates.

To resolve this issue:

1. Restart only the vmware-vpxa process on the ESX host with the command:
   
   service vmware-vpxa restart
   
   If the issue persists, proceed to Step 2. For ESXi, a /sbin/services.sh restart is necessary.
   
2. Restart all of the Management agents for the ESX/ESXi host on which the template resides. For more information, see Restarting the Management agents on an ESX Server (1003490).
3. Restart the VirtualCenter Server service. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting the vCenter Server service (1003895).

Additional Information

Restarting the Management agents in ESXi
How to stop, start, or restart vCenter Server services