Upgrading VMware vCenter Server from 5.x to 6.0 with a Microsoft SQL Server database fails with the error: Internal error occurs during VMware vCenter Server Database pre-upgrade checks

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

When upgrading to VMware vCenter Server 6.0 from VMware vCenter Server 5.x using a Microsoft SQL Server database, you experience these symptoms:

• The VMware vCenter Server Pre-Upgrade Checker fails
• You see the error:
  
  Error: Internal error occurs during VMware vCenter Server Database pre-upgrade checks.
   
• The %temp%\vcsUpgrade\CollectRequirements_com.vmware.vcdb_YYYY_MM_DD_HH_MM.log file contains the errors:
   
  <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>Z INFO transport.local Key "SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\VMware VirtualCenter" is unicode, thus try to encode it to default file system encoding "mbcs", which would be successfully used by Windows box when reading/writing windows registries</time>
  <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>Z INFO transport.local Key "SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\VMware VirtualCenter" is unicode, thus try to encode it to default file system encoding "mbcs", which would be successfully used by Windows box when reading/writing windows registries</time>
  <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>Z INFO vcdb Identified: Bundled MSSQL with Windows Authentication</time>
  <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>Z INFO transport.local Key "SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\VMware VirtualCenter" is unicode, thus try to encode it to default file system encoding "mbcs", which would be successfully used by Windows box when reading/writing windows registries</time>
  <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>Z WARNING transport.local BAD REQUEST: Cannot execute ['sqlcmd', '-E', '-S', u'localhost\\', '-h', '-1', '-Q', 'SELECT @@VERSION']. Error: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified</time>
  <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>Z ERROR __main__ Upgrade Phase 'vcdb:CollectRequirements' failed. Exception:</time>
  Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "Z:\PFiles\VMware\CIS\cis_upgrade_runner\payload\componentPhaseLauncher.py", line 379, in main
  executionResult = systemExtension(exeContext)
  File "Z:\PFiles\VMware\CIS\cis_upgrade_runner\libs\sdk\extensions.py", line 94, in __call__
  result = self.extension(*args)
  File "Z:\PFiles\VMware\CIS\cis_upgrade_runner\libs\sdk\extensions.py", line 110, in _func
  return func(*args)
  File "Z:\PFiles\VMware\CIS\cis_upgrade_runner\payload\component-scripts\vcdb\__init__.py", line 1612, in doCollectUpgradeRequirements
  req = doWindowsCollectReq(context)
  File "Z:\PFiles\VMware\CIS\cis_upgrade_runner\payload\component-scripts\vcdb\__init__.py", line 1120, in doWindowsCollectReq
  if isEmbeddedWindows():
  File "Z:\PFiles\VMware\CIS\cis_upgrade_runner\payload\component-scripts\vcdb\__init__.py", line 685, in isEmbeddedWindows
  ver = read_db_value(cmd)
  File "Z:\PFiles\VMware\CIS\cis_upgrade_runner\payload\component-scripts\vcdb\__init__.py", line 197, in read_db_value
  localStderr=tempFileNameErr)
  File "Z:\PFiles\VMware\CIS\cis_upgrade_runner\libs\sdk\component_assistant.py", line 272, in execCommand
  raise _convertToComponentAssistantError(e)
  ComponentAssistantError

 

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x

Cause

This issue occurs when the VMware vCenter Server database was previously migrated from the default embedded Microsoft SQL Server Express instance to another instance, but the Microsoft Windows registry entries on the VMware vCenter Server were not updated.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, update the VMware vCenter Server database registry entries to reflect the correct Microsoft SQL Server instance in which the VMware vCenter Server database resides.

 

To update the VMware vCenter Server database registry entries:

Note: This procedure modifies the Windows registry. Before making any registry modifications, ensure that you have a current and valid backup of the registry and the virtual machine. For more information on backing up and restoring the registry, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article How to back up and restore the registry in Windows.

1. Log in the the VMware vCenter Server machine with an administrative user.
2. Click Start > Run, type regedit and click OK.
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > VMware, Inc > VMware VirtualCenter.
4. Modify the key DbInstanceName and remove the current Value data field if you are using the default instance or update the data with the instance name if you are using a named instance.
   
   Note: It is important that you do not delete this key.
    
5. Modify the key DbServerType and change the Value data field from Bundled to Custom.
   
   Note: It is important that you do not delete this key.
    
6. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > VMware, Inc > VMware VirtualCenter > DB.
7. Modify the key 1 and verify that it matches the ODBC System DSN name.
   
   Note: It is important that you do not delete this key.

Note: The preceding link was correct as of May 25, 2015. If you find the link is broken, provide feedback and a VMware employee will update the link.

 

Additional Information