Cannot start the vCenter Server service after migrating the db to a new server

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

After migrating/moving the vCenter Server database to new location, you may experience these symptoms:

• You cannot start the VirtualCenter Server Service.
• In the vpxd.log file, you see entries similar to:
  
  [2010-04-19 14:25:36.995 04976 info 'App'] [Vpxd::ServerApp::Init:758] Calling: VpxdCertificate_Load(gDB, CERTIFICATE_VMDBPATH )
  [2010-04-19 14:25:36.995 04976 info 'App'] [Vpxd::ServerApp::Init:759] Calling: VpxdVdb::Init(Vdb::GetInstance(), false, false)
  [2010-04-19 14:25:36.995 04976 error 'App'] ODBC error: (IM002) - [Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Data source name not found and no default driver specified
  [2010-04-19 14:25:36.995 04976 error 'App'] Error getting configuration info from the database
  [2010-04-19 14:25:37.011 04976 error 'App'] [Vpxd::ServerApp::Init] Init failed: VpxdVdb::Init(Vdb::GetInstance(), false, false)
  2012-09-12T00:27:22.119-07:00 [05988 error 'Default'] [VpxdVdb::SetDBType]: Database error: ODBC error: (IM002) - [Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Data source name not found and no default driver specified
  2012-09-12T00:27:22.119-07:00 [05988 error 'Default'] Error getting configuration info from the database
  2012-09-12T00:27:22.119-07:00 [05988 error 'Default'] [Vpxd::ServerApp::Init] Init failed: VpxdVdb::Init(VpxdVdb::GetVcVdbInstId(), false, false, NULL)
  2012-09-12T00:27:22.119-07:00 [05988 error 'Default'] Failed to initialize VMware VirtualCenter. Shutting down...
  2012-09-12T00:27:22.119-07:00 [05988 info 'Default'] Wrote uptime information
  2012-09-12T00:27:22.119-07:00 [05988 error 'Default'] Alert:false@ d:/build/ob/bora-623373/bora/vpx/vpxd/util/vpxdVdb.cpp:408

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x

Cause

This issue can occur if the vCenter Server registry settings for its ODBC connection was not updated to reflect the change in ODBC configuration.

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

1. Ensure that the ODBC System DSN connection is updated and that a test connection is successful. For more information, see Viewing and modifying the database server and/or database used by VirtualCenter (Microsoft SQL) in vCenter Server installation fails with ODBC and DNS errors (1003928).
   
   Note: This procedure modifies the Windows registry. Before making any registry modifications, ensure that you have a current and valid backup of the registry and the virtual machine. For more information on backing up and restoring the registry, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 256986.
   
2. Navigate to the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc\VMware VirtualCenter\DB\1 registry key.
   
   Notes:
   
• In vCenter Server 5.x, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware VirtualCenter\DB\1.
• For 64-bit versions of Windows, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc.\VMware VirtualCenter\DB\1.
  
  
3. Ensure that the key contains the correct DSN.
4. If the registry contains an incorrect DSN, backup the registry and then update the DSN.
5. Restart the VMware VirtualCenter Server service. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter services (1003895).
   
   Note: You may have to reset the encrypted password found in the registry. For more information, see the Reset the encrypted password found in the registry section in Starting VMware VirtualCenter Server service when using SQL authentication fails with the error: Login Failure, Failed to connect to database (2015824).

Additional Information

If issue persists, see vCenter Server installation fails with ODBC and DNS errors (1003928) for further troubleshooting.

How to stop, start, or restart vCenter Server services
vCenter Server installation fails with ODBC and DSN errors
Starting VMware VirtualCenter Server service when using SQL authentication fails with the error: Login Failure, Failed to connect to database
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