How to clean the web client cache and remove unwanted plugins for vSphere Replication, Site Recovery Manager and Site Recovery Plugin 8.x versions

Products

• VMware Live Recovery
• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

How to clean the Web Client Cache and remove unwanted plugins.

Symptoms:

Missing Plugins for vSphere Replication, Site Recovery Manager and Site Recovery Plugin Ui (8.x)

Environment

VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager 8.x

VMware vSphere Replication 8.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.x
Vmware vCenter Server 7.x

Vmware vCenter Server 8.x

Cause

Missing plugins in web/HTML client. New Plugin deployed does load in the vSphere Web Client.

You performed a rollback to previous version OR you have incorrect installations and upgrades.

You will see error messages in the vSphere web Client Logs
https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.vsphere.monitoring.doc/GUID-7E10C58F-16EA-44AB-8AA0-8D4A66399879.html

Go to /var/log/vmware/vsphere-ui/logs/vsphere_client_virgo.log

This log file contains all the communication between underlying Flex endpoint connections, internal tasks, and events.

 

Resolution

Verify if you have unwanted plugins for vCenter Appliance.

vSphere replication(vcHms). Site Recovery Manager (vcDr). Site Recovery Plugin 8.x (vrUi) 

1. Take snapshot to avoid human error on input of commands.

 If the vCenters are in a Linked Mode Deployment.  Perform the below actions on all vCenters at the same time, One by One.

Please take snapshots of SRM, VR & vCenter/PSC appliances as necessary before performing any actions mentioned in the resolution section. Refer to VMware vCenter in Enhanced Linked Mode pre-changes snapshot (online or offline) best practice (85662)

2.Check for plugin packages. Open an SSH connection to vCenter and navigate to the below folders.

ls /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-client-serenity/
ls /etc/vmware/vsphere-ui/vc-packages/vsphere-client-serenity/

ls /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/cm-service-packages/com.vmware.cis.vsphereclient.plugin
ls /etc/vmware/vsphere-ui/cm-service-packages/com.vmware.cis.vsphereclient.plugin

SRM = vcDr, vSphere Replication = vcHms; vrms, Site recovery plugin = vRui

Note the files inside these packages

3. If incorrect build numbers for plugins are present. 

Stop the vSphere Ui service

service-control --stop vsphere-ui

4.Clear the user cache:

cd /storage/vsphere-client/SerenityDB/serenity/

This directory is to be completely emptied. (you can use rm -rf * when in the directory)

5. Clean tomcat cache

cd /usr/lib/vmware-vsphere-client/server/work/
 
This directory is to be completely emptied.

6. Clear the unwanted plugin packages 

cd /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-client-serenity/
cd /etc/vmware/vsphere-ui/vc-packages/vsphere-client-serenity/

Only the relevant older vcDr and vcHms plugin package are to be removed. The solution for SRM and vSphere Replication needs to be re-registered afterwards. 


Site Recovery 8.x plugin packages
cd /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/cm-service-packages/com.vmware.cis.vsphereclient.plugin
cd /etc/vmware/vsphere-ui/cm-service-packages/com.vmware.cis.vsphereclient.plugin

Only the relevant older vRui plugin package is to be removed.

 
7. Clear the CmCatalog of plugin zip files.

cd /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/cmCatalog
cd /etc/vmware/vsphere-ui/cmCatalog

Example
rm com.vmware.cis.com.vmware.vcDr.zip
rm com.vmware.cis.com.vmware.vcHms.zip

8. Clear the Pickup folder.

cd /usr/lib/vmware-vsphere-client/server/pickup

Only the older stale relevant vcDr and vcHms plugins are to be removed.

9. Start the vSphere Ui service

service-control --start vsphere-ui

10. Confirm Web Client functionality and consolidate the snapshots.

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Additional Information

Impact/Risks:
Restarting the web client and UI service will kick users out. Also, restarting all vCenter services when backups are running will stall all running backup jobs.