Error: "Replace a process level token' privilege" during Pre-Check when migrating to VC 6.5

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides information on how to assign the Replace a process level token privilege to the user performing the upgrade.

• When migrating a vCenter Server 6.0 installed on Windows to the vCenter Server Appliance 6.5, pre-check fails with the error:
  User running the upgrade does not have 'Replace a process level token' privilege  

• In the runner.log file, you see entries similar to:
  "requirementMismatchSpecs": [
  {
  "text": {
  "id": "common.error.windows.missing_privilege.text",
  "localized": "User running the upgrade does not have 'Replace a process level token' privilege.",
  "translatable": "User running the upgrade does not have 'Replace a process level token' privilege."

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.x
• VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x
• VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x
• VMware vCenter Server 6.5.x
• VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.5.x

Cause

This issue occurs when the user running the migration does not have Replace a process level token privilege.

Resolution

Assign Replace a process level token permissions to the user performing the upgrade. For more information on this permissions, see the Microsoft TechNet article Replace a process level token.

Additional Information

If the vCenter Server service is running in a user account other than the Local System account, verify that the user account has these permissions:

• Member of the Administrators group
• Log on as a service
• Act as part of the operating system (if the user is a domain user)
• Replace a process level token