rhttpproxy service failed to start after VCSA reboot

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

rhttpproxy service failed to start after vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) reboot

• Other services that depend on rhttpproxy also fail to start.
• There are no storage or memory usage issues.
• The following errors are seen in the rhttpproxy log file, 
  
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.866+08:00 info rhttpproxy[02209] [Originator@6876 sub=ThreadPool] Entering worker thread loop
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.866+08:00 info rhttpproxy[02188] [Originator@6876 sub=Default] Listening on HTTPS port 443.
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.017+08:00 error rhttpproxy[02188] [Originator@6876 sub=Default] Application error: Host not found (authoritative)
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.018+08:00 error rhttpproxy[02188] [Originator@6876 sub=Default] Backtrace:
--> [backtrace begin] product: VMware VirtualCenter, version: 6.7.0, build: build-13639313, tag: rhttpproxy, cpu: x86_64, os: linux, buildType: release
--> backtrace[00] libvmacore.so[0x002AF3A0]: Vmacore::System::Stacktrace::CaptureWork(unsigned int)
--> backtrace[01] libvmacore.so[0x001B2088]: Vmacore::System::SystemFactory::CreateQuickBacktrace(Vmacore::Ref<Vmacore::System::Backtrace>&)
--> backtrace[02] libvmacore.so[0x0018992E]: Vmacore::Throwable::Throwable(std::string&&)
--> backtrace[03] libvmacore.so[0x00232B87]
--> backtrace[04] libvmacore.so[0x00232C33]
--> backtrace[05] libvmacore.so[0x0025E5B1]
--> backtrace[06] libvmacore.so[0x00264608]
--> backtrace[07] rhttpproxy[0x0003970A]
--> backtrace[08] rhttpproxy[0x0003732D]
--> backtrace[09] libc.so.6[0x00020570]
--> backtrace[10] rhttpproxy[0x0003774D]
--> [backtrace end]

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.x

VMware vCenter Server 8.x

Cause

There is no localhost entry in VCSA hosts file.
There is no 127.0.0.1 entry in VCSA hosts file
rhttpproxy then fails to find the port due to unknown localhost.

Resolution

1. Connect to the VCSA command line through SSH or console.
2. Get the correct VCSA hostname and fully qualified domain name (FQDN):
   
   # hostname
   # hostname -f
   
   
3. Make a copy of the previous hosts file:
   
   # cp /etc/hosts /etc/hosts.bak
   
   
4. Edit the /etc/hosts file with a text editor.
5. Add the line below. substituting the actual VCSA FQDN, and the actual VCSA hostname:
   
   127.0.0.1 <your VCSA FQDN> <your VCSA hostname> localhost
   
   
6. Delete the other lines referencing the VCSA, including other IP addresses.
   Note there may be references to other devices which may need to be kept.
7. Reboot the VCSA.