VMware VirtualCenter Server service fails to start with the error: Panic: Failed to do early initialization

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Cannot start the VMware VirtualCenter Server service
• Starting the VMware VirtualCenter Server service fails
• When trying to start the VMware VirtualCenter Server service manually, it fails with the error:
  
  Error 1067: The Process terminated unexpectedly.
   
• In the vCenter Server vpxd.log file, you see entries similar to:
  
  [2011-08-26 11:58:53.406 04652 info 'App'] Current working directory: C:\Windows\system32
  [2011-08-26 11:58:53.406 04652 verbose 'ThreadPool'] TaskMax=10, IoMin=1, IoMax=21
  [2011-08-26 11:58:53.421 04652 error 'App'] Failed reading C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\vpxd.cfg. Line 24. class Vmacore::Xml::XMLParseException(not well-formed (invalid token))
  [2011-08-26 11:58:53.421 04652 info 'App'] CoreDump: Writing minidump
  [2011-08-26 11:58:53.562 04652 panic 'App']
  
  Panic: Failed to do early initialization.
  Backtrace:
  backtrace[00] rip 000000018010a8aa Vmacore::System::Stacktrace::CaptureWork
  backtrace[01] rip 00000001800e8008 Vmacore::System::SystemFactoryImpl::CreateFileWriter
  backtrace[02] rip 00000001800e84fe Vmacore::System::SystemFactoryImpl::CreateQuickBacktrace
  backtrace[03] rip 0000000180129ba5 Vmacore::PanicExit
  backtrace[04] rip 0000000180129cb1

Environment

VMware vCenter Server for Windows

Cause

This issue occurs if there is a syntax error in the vpxd.cfg file. This is indicated by the exception error:

Failed reading C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\vpxd.cfg. Line <line_number>. class Vmacore::Xml::XMLParseException(not well-formed (invalid token))

Where <line_number> is the line that has a syntax error. For example, the sample log in the Symptoms section indicates that there is a syntax error in Line 24.

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

Open the vpxd.cfg file. This file is generally located in the vCenter Server machine at:

• Windows 2003 – %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\
• Windows 2008 – C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\

Note: If the file is not available in the default location mentioned above, please use the Windows Search Functionality to search for the file.

1. From the vpxd.log file , identify the line that has a syntax error.
2. Correct the syntax error. For example, in case of the sample log in the Symptoms section, line 24 in the vpxd.cfg file was missing a closing bracket.
3. Save and close the vpxd.cfg file.
4. Restart the VMware VirtualCenter Server service. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter services (1003895).

Alternatively, to resolve this issue when there are no syntax errors in the vpxd.cfg file:

1. Rename vpxd.cfg to vpxd.cfg.old.
2. Restart the VMware VirtualCenter Server service. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter services (1003895).
   
   The VMware VirtualCenter Server service creates a new vpxd.cfg file and the service should now start successfully.

Additional Information

How to stop, start, or restart vCenter Server services
Troubleshooting the vCenter Server service