vAPI Endpoint Service fails to start on Windows vCenter during upgrade or installation with error: "Failed to Logon as vapiEndpoint user."

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• vAPI endpoint service fails to start during windows vCenter upgrade / installation.

vmon.log:
2020-01-06T13:01:48.863+01:00| host-14348| I125: <vapi-endpoint-prestart> Constructed command : "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\visl-integration\usr\sbin\cloudvm-ram-size.bat" -J vmware-vapi-endpoint -O D:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\data/vmware-vmon/vapi-endpoint.start.cmd
2020-01-06T13:01:48.870+01:00| host-14348| E110: Failed to Logon as vapiEndpoint user. Error: An attempt was made to logon, but the network logon service was not started

vapi_firstboot.py_13296_stderr.log:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\firstboot\vapi_firstboot.py", line 409, in <module>
    sys.exit(Main())
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\firstboot\vapi_firstboot.py", line 387, in Main
    vapi_firstboot()
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\firstboot\vapi_firstboot.py", line 375, in vapi_firstboot
    actionFirstboot(fbObj)
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\firstboot\vapi_firstboot.py", line 353, in actionFirstboot
    actionStart(fbObj)
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\firstboot\vapi_firstboot.py", line 358, in actionStart
    startService(msg, fbObj)
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\firstboot\vapi_firstboot.py", line 257, in proxy
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\firstboot\vapi_firstboot.py", line 312, in startService
    fbObj.start_services()
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\firstboot\vapi_firstboot.py", line 187, in start_services
    self.start_service()
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\python-modules\cis\firstboot.py", line 273, in start_service
    service_start(self.get_eff_service_name())
  File "D:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\python-modules\cis\utils.py", line 1006, in service_start
    raise ServiceStartException(svc_name)
cis.exceptions.ServiceStartException: {
    "componentKey": "vapi",
    "problemId": null,
    "resolution": {
        "id": "install.vapi.resolution",
        "translatable": "Please file a bug against VAPI",
        "localized": "Please file a bug against VAPI"
    },
    "detail": [
        {
            "id": "install.ciscommon.service.failstart",
            "translatable": "An error occurred while starting service '%(0)s'",
            "args": [
                "vapi-endpoint"
            ],
            "localized": "An error occurred while starting service 'vapi-endpoint'"
        },
        {
            "id": "install.vapi.error.start_service",
            "translatable": "Failed to start the vAPI Endpoint Service",
            "localized": "Failed to start the vAPI Endpoint Service"
        },
        {
            "id": "install.vapi.error.firstboot",
            "translatable": "Failed to configure vAPI Endpoint Service at the firstboot time",
            "localized": "Failed to configure vAPI Endpoint Service at the firstboot time"
        }
    ]
}

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 6.x

Cause

This is caused due to the Windows "Netlogon" service not being started.

Resolution

To resolve the issue:

1. Run services.msc and start the service "Netlogon"
2. Retry the upgrade/installation.