Exporting a VM as OVF template to content library or deploying an VM from OVF library item results in timeout error and export/import fails

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

1. Deployment of an OVF/OVA template from content library fails with "vim.fault.Timedout" error.
   • Timeout error is seen in vpxd.log:

     -- <VM_NAME> -- ResourcePool.ImportVAppLRO: vim.fault.Timedout:
     --> Result:
     --> (vim.fault.Timedout) {
     --> 		faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null, 
     --> 		faultMessage = <unset>
     --> 		msg = ""
     --> }
     --> Args:
     -->

   • Error is seen in cls.log:

     ImportSessionActivity 				| OVF import session ########-####-####-####-########78bb failed with internal error.
     (vim.fault.Timedout) {
     		faultCause = null,
     		faultMessage = null
     }

2. Importing a vAPP/VM to content library fails with "vim.fault.Timedout" error.
   • Timeout error is seen in vpxd.log:

     --> <VM_NAME> -- VirtualMachine.ExportVmLRO: vim.fault.Timedout:
     --> Result:
     --> (vim.fault.Timedout) {
     --> 	faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
     --> 	faultMessage = <unset>
     --> 	msg = ""
     --> }
     --> Args:

   • Timeout error in cls.log:

     ExportSessionActivity 					| OVF export session ########-####-####-####-########ef96 terminated abnormally.
     (vim.fault.Timedout) {
     		faultCause = null,
     		faultMessage = null

3. Exporting a VM from the vCenter UI by selecting VM > Template > Export to OVF Template fails with a timeout error

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 8.x
• VMware vCenter Server 7.0.3
• VMware vCenter Server 7.0.2

Cause

Long running operations by Content Library, which require usage of HttpNfcLease sessions, are encountering cleaned up sessions.

Content Library requires the use of HttpNfcLease in certain operations, like exporting a Virtual Machine to Content Library, or while deploying a Content Library managed OVF item. However, since the actual data transfer occurs out of band and not on the HttpNfcLease channel, no actual data transfer is detected on the HttpNfcLease channel, thus causing the channel to expire and get cleaned up, which in turn causes timeout on the vCenter operation.
By default vCenter Server renews the HttpNfcLease session on VPXA every 20 minutes.
If the transfers involving Content Library take more than the default 20 minutes, the operation would encounter this timeout error.

Resolution

Note: These steps are only available in vCenter Server 7.0 Update 3f or newer versions. If you are using an older version of vCenter Server, please update to 7.0 Update 3f (or newer), before following the steps below.
Units for httpNfcTicket.renewalPeriod are now in seconds. Originally they were in Micro-seconds.

In order to avoid these timeout errors, you can extend the timeout by updating the following vpxd properties:

Refer: VMware vCenter Server 7.0 Update 3f Release Notes

Setting	Description
httpNfcTicket.renewalPeriod	Allows setting the length of the httpNFClease renewal period in seconds. At the end of this period, vpxa will check if there has been any progress in transferring files related to the httpNFClease. If there was progress, the lease's ticket will be renewed. If there wasn't, the lease's ticket will be expired. The standard renewal period is 20 minutes.
httpNfcTicket.timeoutPeriodMinute	This is NFC ticket expiration period in minutes, which by default is 30 minutes on Vpxa. Vpxa is where tickets are maintained/registered and optionally created. Vpxd creates the ticket and registers it on Vpxa through ticket manager. The lease(ticket) timeout period in Vpxa needs to be configurable in vpxd config option so the user can change it based on application and also they can both be in sync.

 

To update these settings, you can use either of the following 2 options:

1. Use vSphere Client
   • Click on the vCenter object in the Hosts and Clusters view on left side of the UI
   • go to Configure > Advanced Settings > Edit settings
   • find config.httpNfcTicket.timeoutPeriodMinute and set it to 60
   • find config.httpNfcTicket.renewalPeriod and set to 3600
   • Click Save
2. Manually update the timeout values in /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.cfg. For example to set both options to 60 minutes:
   1. Connect to VCSA using SSH session with root
   2. Take a backup of the file /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.cfg

      # cp /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.cfg /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.old

   3. Stop the VPXD service

      # service-control --stop vmware-vpxd

   4. Edit vpxd.cfg

      # vi vpxd.cfg

   5. Add the following entries to the file inside the <config> tag:

      <config>
      			<httpNfcTicket>
      						<timeoutPeriodMinute>60</timeoutPeriodMinute>
      						<renewalPeriod>3600</renewalPeriod>
      			</httpNfcTicket>

   6. Save the file and restart vpxd using:

      # service-control --start vmware-vpxd

 

 

Additional Information

Notes:

• When manually editing /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.cfg, the <httpNfcTicket> section needs to be placed directly under <config>. Please ensure that is not being placed in any of the child branches like <vpxd>.
• Please ensure to not chose too high values for these options, as they will prolong how long sessions in vpxd are being kept open and might lead to an increased number of open sessions.