Changing the Windows vCenter Server 4.x and 5.0 hostname

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Changing the Widnows vCenter Server 4.x and 5.0 hostname

Symptoms:
vCenter 4.x and 5.0 service fails to start after changing the FQDN/hostname.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x

Resolution

VMware does not support changing hostname for vCenter Server. If the vCenter Server name has changed refer one of the following steps to fix the issue.

• Revert to a snapshot or backup prior to the IP address or hostname change. For more information, see Working with snapshots (1009402).
  OR
• Redeploy vCenter using existing SQL or Orcale database to maintain the vCenter inventory information.

Refer to the following step for how to rename the vCenter Server name.

Changing the host name of a Windows vCenter Server invalidates the SSL certificates that are used to encrypt session information. vCenter Server will fail to start if the certificates are invalid. Reinstalling vCenter Server will reuse the old certificates if the file directories are still present after uninstalling vCenter Server.

To change the hostname of the vCenter Server:

1. Change the name of the vCenter Server host.
2. Stop the VMware vCenter Server services.
3. In Windows 2003 and later, delete certificates in the directories listed below
   For Windows 2003, the locations are typically:
   <C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\SSL>
   <C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\Infrastructure\Inventory>
   For Windows 2008, the locations are typically:
   <C:\Program Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\SSL>
   <C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Inventory Service\SSL>
4. Uninstall vCenter Server.
5. Restart the system.
6. Reinstall vCenter Server.
   Note: During installation choose the option use existing database to retain the old vCenter information.

 

Additional Information

For other versions of vCenter Server see:

• Changing the Windows vCenter Server 5.1 and 5.5 hostname (2146301)
• Cannot start vCenter Server or Platform Service Controller services (2130599)

VMware VirtualCenter Server service not starting after hostname change
[Internal] Windows インスタンス上の vCenter Server のホスト名を変更する方法
更改 Windows vCenter Server 4.x 和 5.0 主机名
Cannot change the vCenter Server or Platform Service Controller 6.x hostname
Changing the Windows vCenter Server 5.1 and 5.5 hostname