Reprotect fails with the error: VR synchronization failed for VRM group

Products

• VMware Live Recovery

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:
When running vSphere Replication, you experience these symptoms:

• Reprotect operations fails

  Error - VR Synchronization failed for VRM group XXX-XX-XXX-XXX-X. Synchronization monitoring has stopped. Please verify replication traffic connectivity between the source host and the target vSphere replication Server. Synchronization monitoring will resume when connectivity issues are resolved.

• The vSphere Web Client produces an error similar to:

  VR synchronization failed for VRM group test-group-clone-vr. Remote group 'GID-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-fbd37e544fff' is in passive replication state.
   

• In the vmkernel.log file, located at /var/run/log/, from the ESXi host running the virtual machine at the Disaster Recovery (DR) site, you see entries similar to:

  YYYY-MM-DD TIME.629Z cpu9:3108530)Hbr: 1064: Failed to find NetWorker for groupID=GID-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-c52539d1cc89
  YYYY-MM-DD TIME.631Z cpu20:9450)WARNING: Hbr: 534: Connection failed to xx.xxx.xx.xx (groupID=GID-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-c52539d1cc89): Timeout
  YYYY-MM-DD TIME.631Z cpu20:9450)WARNING: Hbr: 4322: Failed to establish connection to [xx.xxx.xx.xx]:31031(groupID=GID-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-c52539d1cc89): Timeout
YYYY-MM-DD TIME.642Z cpu20:8212)WARNING: Hbr: 534: Connection failed to xx.xxx.xx.xx (groupID=GID-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-c52539d1cc89): Timeout
YYYY-MM-DD TIME.642Z cpu20:8212)WARNING: Hbr: 4322: Failed to establish connection to [xx.xxx.xx.xx]:31031(groupID=GID-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-c52539d1cc89): Timeout
  
  

• Network checks and netcat commands indicate no issues with ports:

  [root@ESXiXX:~] nc -zv 172.X.X.X 31031
nc: connect to 172.X.X.X port 31031 (tcp) successfully completed

Environment

VMware Live Recovery

Cause

This issue occurs if synchronization between the DR site to the Primary site does not occur or is blocked.

Resolution

To allow synchronization to occur, ensure that outbound traffic from port 31031 on the ESXi host at the DR site is unobstructed (Bi-Directional). After the port is correctly configured synchronization data should flow as normal.

For more information on port requirements in vSphere Replication, see:

Services, Ports, and External Interfaces That the vSphere Replication Virtual Appliance Uses

Workaround:

• Two Services vSphere Replication traffic & vSphere Replication NFC traffic needs to be enabled on the chosen vmk(VMkernel adapter) adapter,

• Turn off the services and save the changes. Then, turn the services back on and save the changes once more.

• Run Reprotect or Incomplete recovery plan again.

 

 

Additional Information

TCP and UDP Ports required to access VMware vCenter Server, VMware ESXi and ESX hosts, and other network components