Troubleshooting VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat channel drops

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides troubleshooting information for when the VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat channel drops.

Symptoms:

• The VMware vCenter Heartbeat channel drops
• The server was rebooted suddenly
• An application or Windows is experiencing a fault
• The data rate between servers is very high during a full system check
• The VMware Channel connects intermittently
• The VMware Channel disconnects and reconnects repeatedly
• Ping packets are lost when vCenter Server Heartbeat is running but not lost when it is stopped
• The channel is connected via a firewall
• The system experiences IP conflicts
• There is interference with network traffic across the channel
• VMware Channel disconnects from or fails to connect to a LAN deployment
• VMware Channel disconnects from or fails to connect to a WAN deployment

Resolution

Please validate that each troubleshooting step below is true for your environment.Each step provides instructions or a link to a document, in order to eliminate possible causes and take corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Please do not skip a step.

 

The VMware Channel allows replicated data and status/control information to pass between the servers in a VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat pair. When the VMware Channel disconnects unexpectedly, it is referred to as a channel drop. Channel drops interrupt the replication of data and transmission of status/control information and can result in false failovers. This behavior is not by design and can be caused by numerous issues.

1. Ensure that the channel drop is not caused by performance issues. For more information, see Troubleshooting performance issues in VMware vCenter Heartbeat (1008552).
2. Ensure the passive server meets minimum hardware requirements. For more information, see Ensuring your passive server meets minimum hardware requirements (1008553).
3. Resolve any hardware or driver issues on channel NICs. For more information, see Resolving hardware or driver issues on channel NICs (1008554).
4. Ensure a firewall is not causing the channel to drop. For more information, see Firewall connections causing channels to drop in VMware vCenter Heartbeat (1008556).
5. Ensure your VMware channel is configured correctly. For more information, see Ensuring you have the correct VMware Channel configuration (1008559).
6. Ensure the VMware Packet Filter is disabled on the Channel NICs. For more information, see Disabling VMware Packet Filter on the Channel NICs (1008782).
7. Verify that it is not a subnet or routing issue that is causing the channel drop. For more information, see Subnet and Routing issues in VMware vCenter Heartbeat (1008783).
8. Verify that the Principal (Public) connection is selected in the Configure Server wizard Public NIC field and not the Channel connection.

Note: If your problem still exists after trying the steps in this article, file a support request with VMware Support and note this KB Article ID in the problem description. For more information, see Filing a Support Request in Customer Connect (2006985).

Additional Information

vCSHB-Ref-992 Troubleshooting performance issues in VMware vCenter Heartbeat
Ensuring your passive server meets minimum hardware requirements
Resolving hardware or driver issues on channel NICs
Firewall connections causing channels to drop in VMware vCenter Heartbeat
Ensuring you have the correct VMware Channel configuration
Disabling the VMware Packet Filter on the Channel NICs
Subnet and Routing issues in VMware vCenter Heartbeat
How to file a Support Request in Customer Connect