Upgrading or Installing vCenter Server 4.x (or later) fails with the error: Setup cannot create vCenter Server Directory Services

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Upgrading or Installing vCenter Server 4.x (or later) fails with the error: Setup cannot create vCenter Server Directory Services

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Article ID: 310500

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

Upgrading to vCenter Server 4.x (or later) fails
The upgrade rolls back before completion.
You see one or both of these errors:
- Setup cannot create vCenter Server Directory Services instance.
- Error 28038. Setup cannot create vCenter Server Directory Services instance.
The %TEMP%/jointool-0.log file generated during the upgrade attempt contain entries similar to:
- [2009-11-17 12:28:38 INFO] JoinTool started
  [2009-11-17 12:28:38 INFO] Storage directory for LDAP instance: D:\VMware Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\VMwareVCMSDS
  [2009-11-17 12:28:38 INFO] Operation Mode: initialize
  [2009-11-17 12:28:39 INFO] Unable to recover from existing data:
  Action: Get Recovery info from DB
  Problem: No records in the database for recovery policy : "MOST_RECENT"
  [2009-11-17 12:28:39 INFO] This is not an error unless the install attempt was on a pre-existing database on which vCenter Server was installed already.
  [2009-11-17 12:28:39 INFO] Creating directory services instance VMwareVCMSDS
  [2009-11-17 12:28:39 INFO] LDAP port = 389
  [2009-11-17 12:28:39 INFO] Base DN = dc=virtualcenter,dc=vmware,dc=int
  [2009-11-17 12:28:39 INFO] Storage dir = D:\VMware Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\VMwareVCMSDS
  [2009-11-17 12:33:57 INFO] Creation complete
  [2009-11-17 12:33:57 INFO] Resetting VC LDAP service SSL port
  [2009-11-17 12:33:58 INFO] Service 'VMwareVCMSDS' is shutdown
  [2009-11-17 12:33:58 INFO] Importing "D:\VMware Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\ldif\vc_schema.ldf". Host: 127.0.0.1; Port: 389
  [2009-11-17 12:33:59 INFO] Importing LDIF on 127.0.0.1 failed with Action: LDIF Import
  Action: Process execution
  Problem: Import LDIF failed: 8224. Output: Connecting to "127.0.0.1"
  The connection cannot be established
  The error code is 8224
  No log files were written. In order to generate a log file, please
  specify the log file path via the -j option.
  Possibly pure IPV6 machine.
  Attempting to import LDIF to ::1
  [2009-11-17 12:33:59 INFO] Importing "D:\VMware Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\ldif\vc_schema.ldf". Host: ::1; Port: 389
  [2009-11-17 12:33:59 ALLVARLIG] Operation "Create standalone instance VMwareVCMSDS" failed: : Action: Create Standalone Instance
  Action: Creation of standalone instance
  Action: LDIF Import
  Action: Process execution
  Problem: Import LDIF failed: 8224. Output: Connecting to "::1"
  The connection cannot be established
  The error code is 8224
  No log files were written. In order to generate a log file, please
  specify the log file path via the -j option.
  [2009-11-17 12:33:59 ALLVARLIG] Recovering from failed Operation "Create standalone instance VMwareVCMSDS"
  [2009-11-17 12:33:59 INFO] Removing directory services instance VMwareVCMSDS
  [2009-11-17 12:34:01 INFO] Removal complete
  [2009-11-17 12:34:01 ALLVARLIG] Recovery successful
  [2009-11-17 12:34:01 ALLVARLIG] Execution error.
- [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] JoinTool started
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] Storage directory for LDAP instance: D:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\VMwareVCMSDS
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] Operation Mode: initialize
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] Recovery info : ID : 1073741833 Date : 2009-11-10 23:15:06.34 Change Id : 24584
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO]
  Database LDAP backups found. Launching recovery mode.
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] Recovery info : ID : 1073741833 Date : 2009-11-10 23:15:06.34 Change Id : 24584
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO]
  Restoring as a standalone instance.
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] Creating directory services instance VMwareVCMSDS
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] LDAP port = 389
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] Base DN = dc=virtualcenter,dc=vmware,dc=int
  [2009-11-10 23:39:49 INFO] Storage dir = D:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\VMwareVCMSDS
  [2009-11-10 23:39:56 SEVERE] Operation "Recover" failed: : Action: Recover LDAP instance
  Action: Creation of standalone instance
  Action: Create Instance
  Problem: Creation of instance VMwareVCMSDS failed: The wizard could not access the registry.
  Error code: 0x800706fd
  The trust relationship between this workstation and the primary domain failed.
- [2009-10-14 11:51:23 INFO] JoinTool started
  [2009-10-14 11:51:23 INFO] Storage directory for LDAP instance: C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\VMwareVCMSDS
  [2009-10-14 11:51:23 INFO] Operation Mode: initialize
  [2009-10-14 11:51:23 SEVERE] Failed to load certificate: : Failed to load certificate
  [2009-10-14 11:51:23 SEVERE] Execution error.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x

Resolution

This issue may occur for numerous reasons.

A third-party antivirus program prevents the installer from completing.

To resolve this issue, disable any third-party antivirus programs during the upgrade or installation.
Ensure that your passwords do not contain spaces or special characters. For more information, see Troubleshooting errors resulting from non-ASCII names (1003866).
If you are upgrading to vCenter Server 4.x (or later) on Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008, this issue may occur if the Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) role is already installed on Windows Server 2008 or if the Active Directory Application Mode Service Pack 1 is already installed on Windows Server 2003.

To resolve this issue, remove the role and retry the upgrade. For more information on removing the role, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/2008/dd448612.aspx.
If you are upgrading to vCenter Server 4.x (or later) on Windows Server 2003, there may be an issue with ADAM. To resolve this issue, follow these steps, then retry the upgrade:
1. Remove ADAM from the vCenter Server.
2. Browse to C:\Windows and delete the ADAM directory.
3. Ensure that the Windows Network Service has Read permission on the root drive of the directory where vCenter Server is being installed.
  
  For more information, see vCenter Server installation might fail due to insufficient permissions on the root directory or registry (1010938).
4. Reboot vCenter Server.
Ensure that the vCenter Server system has an Ethernet port assigned (physical or virtual) and an active network connection before performing the installation.
If you see an entry similar to The trust relationship between this workstation and the primary domain failed in the %TEMP%/jointool-0.log file, add the vCenter Server host to the domain and retry the upgrade.
If you see an entry similar to 2009-10-14 11:51:23 SEVERE] Failed to load certificate: : Failed to load certificate in the %TEMP%/jointool-0.log file, check if the custom rui.crt file has text before the -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- line. This text may cause problems with jointool.

Ensure that the rui.crt file starts with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- and ends with -----END CERTIFICATE-----.

Note: Ensure to use a plain text editor that does not insert white space or special characters into the file. Editors such as Notepad and Wordpad may insert white space or special characters into the file.
During installation, the service VMwareVCMSDS is created. You must wait until the point of the installation when this service is created. From the Services view in the Computer Manager, change log on as: to SYSTEM instead of NETWORK SERVICE, then manually start the service. Retry the upgrade.
You may need to truncate the VPX_BINARY_DATA table in the vCenter database if you see these errors. Run this SQL query on the vCenter Server database to truncate VPX_BINARY_DATA, which contains the ADAM backup:

truncate table VPX_BINARY_DATA

Note: Ensure to delete only the data from table and not the table itself.
Verify if you get the following error in the %TEMP%/jointool-0.log file:

Problem: Creation of body failed VMwareVCMSDS: An unknown error occurred while installing Active Directory.
Error code: 0x800705dc Error code: 0x800705dc
The event log file is corrupted. The event log file is corrupted.
[2009-09-01 00:00:00 GRAVE] Recovering from failed Operation "Create standalone instance VMwareVCMSDS" [2009-09-01 00:00:00 SERIOUS] Recovering from Operation failed "Create standalone instance VMwareVCMSDS"
[2009-09-01 00:00:00 GRAVE] Recovery successful [2009-09-01 00:00:00 SERIOUS] Recovery successful
[2009-09-01 00:00:00 GRAVE] Execution error. [2009-09-01 00:00:00 SERIOUS] Execution error

If you get this error, re-installing ADAM or giving Windows Network Service Read permission on the root drive of the directory where vCenter Server is being installed does not resolve the issue.

To resolve this issue, you must correct the following permissions in the Windows registry.

Go to Start > Run, type regedit, and click OK.
Navigate to the following registry keys:

HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\eventlog\ADAM (VMwareVCMSDS)
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\eventlog\ADAM (VMwareVCMSDS)

Right-click each key and select Permissions. Modify the key with the following settings:
Administrators – Full Control
NETWORK SERVICE – Full Control
SYSTEM – Special Permissions

Navigate to the following key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\eventlog\Application

Right-click this key and select Permissions. Modify the key with the following settings:
Administrators – Full Control
NETWORK SERVICE – Full Control
SYSTEM – Full Control

Upgrade to vCenter Server 4.x (or later).

Additional Information

For related information, see:

Troubleshooting errors resulting from non-ASCII names
vCenter Server installation might fail due to insufficient permissions on the root directory or registry
vCenter Server 4.x および 5.0 のバックアップとリストア
升级到 vCenter Server 4.x 失败，并显示以下错误：安装程序无法创建 vCenter Server 目录服务
vCenter Server 4.x へのアップグレードがエラー「Setup cannot create vCenter Server Directory Services」で失敗する

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