"There is a problem authenticating into the legacy vCenter Server using the credentials provided by the user" error while upgrading VC from 5.5 to 6.0

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Upgrade from vCenter 5.5 to vCenter 6.0 fails during pre-upgrade check with the error:
  
  Error: There is a problem authenticating into the legacy vCenter Server using the credentials provided by the user.
  
  Resolution: Check if vCenter Server is up and running. Double check provided vCenter Server credentials
   
• In the C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\logs\vmware-vpxd\vpxd.log file, you see entries similar to:
  
  [02828 info 'commonvpxLro' opID=500f1eb7] [VpxLRO] -- BEGIN task-internal-424 -- -- vim.SessionManager.login -- 7c581ecf-9046-7de6-2072-7856f4662789
  [02828 info '[SSO]' opID=500f1eb7] [UserDirectorySso] Authenticate([email protected], "not shown")
  [05664 error 'HttpConnectionPool-000001'] [ConnectComplete] Connect failed to <cs p:000000000a67e020, TCP:vcsa.local:7444>; cnx: (null), error: class Vmacore::TimeoutException(Operation timed out)
  [02828 error '[SSO]' opID=500f1eb7] [UserDirectorySso] AcquireToken exception: class SsoClient::CommunicationException(Operation timed out)
  [02828 error 'authvpxdUser' opID=500f1eb7] Failed to authenticate user <[email protected]>
  [02828 info 'commonvpxLro' opID=500f1eb7] [VpxLRO] -- FINISH task-internal-424 -- -- vim.SessionManager.login --
  [02828 info 'Default' opID=500f1eb7] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-internal-424 -- -- vim.SessionManager.login: vim.fault.InvalidLogin:
  
  --> Result:
  --> (vim.fault.InvalidLogin) {
  --> dynamicType = <unset>,
  --> faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
  --> msg = "",
  --> }
  --> Args:
  -->
   
• In the UpgradeRunner.log file, you see entries similar to:
  
  WARNING bindings.vc_binding Cannot get access to VC Inventory //127.0.0.1:443, because of Error: (vim.fault.InvalidLogin) {
  dynamicType = <unset>,
  dynamicProperty = (vmodl.DynamicProperty) [],
  msg = 'Cannot complete login due to an incorrect user name or password.',
  faultCause = <unset>,
  faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) []
  }.
  ERROR __main__ Cannot log in to legacy vCenter Server
   
• In the STS wrapper.log file, you see that the STS tcServer restart is slow:
  
  #grep "Initialization processed" wrapper.log
  INFO | jvm 1 | INFO: Initialization processed in 368841 ms
  INFO | jvm 1 | INFO: Initialization processed in 366528 ms

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x

Resolution

To resolve the issue, re-install the tcServer component.

 

Note: If you are using vCenter Server 5.5 Update 2 or later, you must downgrade the tcServer component to 5.5 U1c.

1. Take a copy of the folder C:\Program Files\Common Files\VMware\VMware vCenter Server-tcServer.
2. Stop VMware Secure Token Service.
3. Uninstall the component VMware vCenter Server – tcServer from Windows Programs and Features.
4. Navigate to the vCenter 5.5 Update 1c installation media.
5. Run this file:
   
   DRIVE:\Single Sign-On\prerequisites\VMware-tcserver.exe
    
6. Restart the VMware STS service.
7. Attempt the upgrade again.