Cannot create replications from the Availability vSphere Client Plug-In 4.0.x paired to 4.1 cloud site

Products

• VMware Cloud Director

Issue/Introduction

This KB article helps you create replications by using the VMware Cloud Director Availability vSphere Client Plug-In 4.0.x when paired with 4.1 cloud site

Symptoms:

• After pairing an on-premises site running version 4.0.x with a cloud site running version 4.1, you cannot create new migrations or new protections, both incoming or outgoing, from on-premises to cloud or from cloud to on-premises.
• When you attempt to create a replication or migration by using the VMware Cloud Director Availability vSphere Client Plug-In, in the New Replication wizard you see an error message that the action is not permitted by the assigned policy. For example:

Replication policy 'XYZ' does not allow incoming replications to be configured.

• Affected Product Versions: 4.0.1.1 and all earlier versions.

Environment

VMware Cloud Director Availability 4.x

Cause

The issue is caused by the 4.0.x interoperability with 4.1. The 4.0.x plug-in communicates with the 4.1 Cloud Service by using version 4.1 instead of 4.0.

As a result, 4.0 receives unexpected responses. For example, in 4.0 the policies have "allowIncoming" and "allowOutgoing" fields. 

In 4.1 these fields are removed, causing the 4.0 code validating the policy to incorrectly assume that replications are not allowed while they are allowed.

Resolution

• Upgrade to VMware Cloud Director Availability On-Premises Appliance 4.1.
• Alternatively, upgrade to VMware Cloud Director Availability On-Premises Appliance 4.0.1.2.

Workaround:
To avoid upgrading, in the VMware Cloud Director Availability On-Premises Appliance select Allow Access from Cloud. This setting allows creating replications by using the cloud site instead of the VMware Cloud Director Availability vSphere Client Plug-In.