vSphere Client fails to Start on vCenter Server 6.5 with NullPointerException in bundle org.eclipse.osgi

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Unable to start the webclient services in windows vCenter Server 6.5.
  
  503 Service Unavailable (Failed to connect to endpoint: [class Vmacore::Http::LocalServiceSpec:0x0000008ba532e0b0] _serverNamespace = /vsphere-client action = Allow _port = 9090)
   
• vsphere_client_virgo.log doesn't get updated.
   
• Vsphere-client-runtime.log is created and shows entries similar:
  
  Starting service process with pid: 13820.
WrapperManager: Initializing...
WrapperManager: "unknown" while the version of the native library
WrapperManager: is "3.5.24-pro".
WrapperManager: The Wrapper may appear to work correctly but some features may
WrapperManager: not function correctly. This configuration has not been tested
WrapperManager: and is not supported.
WrapperManager:
VKS keystore loaded
Deleted the old JKS file.
JKS keystore processing aliases...
JKS keystore alias = __MACHINE_CERT, certificate count = 1
JKS keystore populated successfully.
JKS keystore written to file system successfully.
Tomcat config file populated successfully.
An error has occurred. See the log file
E:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\runtime\vsphere-client\server\work\1493319141427.log.
   
• text file in %VMWARE_RUNTIME_DATA_DIR%\vsphere-client\server\work folder shows following exception.
   

  !ENTRY org.eclipse.osgi 4 0 2017-04-27 15:15:01.139
!MESSAGE Startup error
!STACK 1
java.lang.RuntimeException: Exception in org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.SystemBundleActivator.start() of bundle org.eclipse.osgi.

  at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.InternalSystemBundle.resume(InternalSystemBundle.java:233)
at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.Framework.launch(Framework.java:656)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.startup(EclipseStarter.java:274)
at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:176)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:629)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:584)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1438)
at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.main(Main.java:1414)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
at org.tanukisoftware.wrapper.WrapperSimpleApp.run(WrapperSimpleApp.java:290)
at com.vmware.vise.vim.commons.tanuki.TanukiWrapperEx.run(TanukiWrapperEx.java:86)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)

  Caused by: org.osgi.framework.BundleException: Exception in org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.SystemBundleActivator.start() of bundle org.eclipse.osgi.

  at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleContextImpl.startActivator(BundleContextImpl.java:734)
at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.BundleContextImpl.start(BundleContextImpl.java:683)
at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.internal.core.InternalSystemBundle.resume(InternalSystemBundle.java:225)
... 18 more

  Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException

Environment

VMware vSphere Client 6.5.x

Resolution

To resolve the issue:

1. Stop the Java process running with username vsphere-client by using the pid.
    
2. Rename the %VMWARE_RUNTIME_DATA_DIR%\vsphere-client\server\pickup and %VMWARE_RUNTIME_DATA_DIR%\vsphere-client\server\work folders.
   
   Note: These folders will be recreated when the service is started.
    
3. Replace the %VMWARE_RUNTIME_DATA_DIR%\vsphere-client\server\configuration and %VMWARE_RUNTIME_DATA_DIR%\vsphere-client\server\repository folders from a working vCenter server 6.5 of same version.
    
4. Start the webclient service.
    
5. Verify that service is started and vCenter is working fine.