VIC 1.3.x Docker API Endpoint and Administration Portal both time out on the VCH

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• When connecting to your VCH from your docker client, you experience the following message :
  "Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at tcp://Your_VCH_IP_OR_FQDN:2376. Is the docker daemon running?"
• In vCenter, the IP of the VCH Endpoint VM vanished
• The docker API Endpoint port (2375 or 2376) and the administration portal port on 2378 are not reachable
  • The commands: nc -vz  VCH_IP 2376_or_2378  returns (tcp) failed: Connection refused
• The VCH may log the following message when running the command "journalctl -u vic-init.service -f"

Mar 20 08:32:11 Linux systemd[1]: vic-init.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT
Mar 20 08:32:11 Linux systemd[1]: vic-init.service: Unit entered failed state.
Mar 20 08:32:11 Linux systemd[1]: vic-init.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.

 

Note: The preceding log excerpts are only examples. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment. 

 

Cause

This is caused by the crash of the process vic-init.service.

Resolution

This is a known issue and is to be addressed in future releases of the product. 

Workaround:
These workarounds may work but are not guaranteed as the root cause of the issue is not yet fully determined.

• Use static IP for all your networks
• Do not use the option --management-network. The management traffic will be then go through the public network instead. Then, make sure that your public network can route to the management network.