vSphere HA fails to configure in one host out of cluster

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides information on how to repair a damaged vSphere HA agent source folder on the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) to allow the vCenter to push the agent to the ESXi host.

Symptoms:
You are unable to activate vSphere HA in one host out of cluster.
You manually copied and installed the Fault Domain Manager (FDM) vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB) on ESXi host and still received the same error.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.7.x

VMware vCenter Server Appliance 7.0.x

Cause

The vSphere HA agent source folder files or path are damaged on the vCenter Server.

Resolution

This resolution requires files taken from another working VCSA of the exact same version as the affected VCSA. Note that it's possible to deploy a new VCSA of the same version, temporarily, for the purposes of this fix.

1. if vCenter HA (VCHA) is configured  in the target VCSA, destroy the VCHA before the next steps.

2. Perform a virtual machine snapshot or backup of the target VCSA.

3. Connect to the vCSA via SSH and using the VCSA's root user credentials.

4. Backup the existing vSphere HA agent folder:
# mkdir /tmp/vSphere-HA-depot_backup
# cp /etc/vmware-vpx/docRoot/vSphere-HA-depot/* /tmp/vSphere-HA-depot/

5. Remove the existing vSphere HA agent folder:
# rm -rf /etc/vmware-vpx/docRoot/vSphere-HA-depot

6. Connect the other, same-version VCSA using WinSCP or similar file transfer software:

7. Navigate to the path "/etc/vmware-vpx/docRoot/" and export the folder "vSphere-HA-depot" to the workstation.

8.Upload the folder vSphere-HA-depot from the workstation to the "/etc/vmware-vpx/docRoot/" path of target VCSA.

9. Turn vSphere HA off for the cluster.

10. Turn vSphere HA on for the cluster.

If the issue is resolved at this point, and VCHA as previously in use, you can now re-deploy VCHA.