vCenter server services returns Error: Service name invalid while checking the status or attempting to start the service

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• vCenter Services return Error: Service name <> is invalid
• While starting the individual service, we see the below output

root@vCenter# service-control --start cm
Operation not cancellable. Please wait for it to finish...
Performing start operation on service cm...
2019-03-19T18:25:03.849Z  Error: Invalid input provided to get startType ofservice cm.
Error executing start on service cm. Details Error: startType of svc: cm rc : 6 stdout:  stderr: Service Get State request failed. Error: Invalid input data
Service-control failed. Error: Error: startType of svc: cm rc : 6 stdout:  stderr: Service Get State request failed. Error: Invalid input data

• Attempting to check the service status returns error
  • Windows based vCenter Server

 

 

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 6.x

Resolution

To resolve the issue, perform the below steps
 

Windows vCenter Server:

• Log in to the vCenter server machine
• Navigate to the location <vCenter Install directory>\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\data\vmware-vmon\.svcStats\
• Move all the files within .svcStats directory to a different location
• Restart the vCenter services

service-control --stop --all

service-control --start --all

vCenter Server Appliance:

• Log in to the vCenter Server appliance via ssh
• Navigate to the directory using the below command

cd /storage/vmware-vmon/.svcStats/

• Move the files from the directory to a different location

mkdir /backup
mv /storage/vmware-vmon/.svcStats/*.json /backup/

• Restart all the services on the vCenter Server

service-control --stop --all && service-control --start --all