Enabling/Deploying VCHA fails with error: The session is not authenticated. You do not have privileges "PropertyCollector.text session[Session_ID : [System > View]"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Enabling VCHA fails with error: The session is not authenticated. You do not have privileges "PropertyCollector.text session[Session_ID : [System > View]"
• vCenter HA displays error: vCenter HA has an invalid configuration. Remove vCenter HA to destroy the current cluster configuration and setup vCenter HA again.
• The following errors are present in /var/log/vmware/vpxd.log

2024-09-03T14:53:32.717+05:30 error vpxd[311870] [Originator@6876 sub=FailoverClusterOperator opID=m0ilqebb-179226-auto-3uaj-h5:70022507] Exception: N5Vmomi1
1MethodFault9ExceptionE(Fault cause: vim.fault.NotAuthenticated
--> )
--> [context]zKq7AVECAQAAABiabwEPdnB4ZAAAowFTbGlidm1hY29yZS5zbwAA/gdCAB8vQwCMiUqB0GIrAnZweGQAga6hgAKBz6SAAoE/sYACge/DfwKB3pqAAgAE3DcAFzU4ALv/UAKwjgBsaWJwdGhy
ZWFkLnNvLjAAA+/6D2xpYmMuc28uNgA=[/context]
2024-09-03T14:53:32.719+05:30 info vpxd[311870] [Originator@6876 sub=vpxLro opID=m0ilqebb-179226-auto-3uaj-h5:70022507] [VpxLRO] -- FINISH task-702063
2024-09-03T14:53:32.719+05:30 error vpxd[311870] [Originator@6876 sub=Default opID=m0ilqebb-179226-auto-3uaj-h5:70022507] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-702063 --  -
- Datacenters -- com.vmware.vcenter.vcha.cluster.deploy: :vim.fault.NotAuthenticated
--> Result:
--> (vim.fault.NotAuthenticated) {
-->    faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
-->    faultMessage = <unset>,
-->    object = 'vmodl.query.PropertyCollector:4d9dc00f-3900-4b33-bb28-bf73ae2c6ea7:session[52c7069a-0e0d-f904-736d-f4c00c3512f2]5235c6f8-24a7-4edc-3a32-12e2
48f45e45',
-->    privilegeId = "System.View",
-->    missingPrivileges = <unset>
-->    msg = "The session is not authenticated."

• vCenter HA can also deploy below error

 

 

 

 

 

Environment

vCenter Server 8.0.3

Cause

This issue occurs due to vSphere-ui client's default logon session timeout stopping the clone tasks in the backend once it times out.

Resolution

Please follow either of below workaround to increase the vSphere-ui client's default logon session timeout.

Workaround-1

• To resolve this issue the user logged into vSphere-ui client needs to keep the web client session active by clicking on any object on UI client before the 120min default timeout limit occurs.
   

Workaround-2

• Increase the web-client default timeout value. This needs to be done prior to starting deploying VCHA.

Steps to increase web client timeout value:

• • • • From GUI:
        Click on Menu Icon on Top left corner   
        Under Administration-->Deployment---> Select Client Configuration-->Click on Edit-->Set the Session timeout value to greater than 120 min. (Preferably set to ~10hrs i.e 600 Min)
    •           

                   (OR)

• • • • From CLI: 
        SSH into vCenter Server Appliance – Navigate to this path: /etc/vmware/vsphere-ui/webclient.properties file 
        Edit the file and set this value session.timeout = <custom_value> ( This value is in minutes)
    •  
      • Restart the web-client service by executing below commands:

service-control --stop vsphere-ui
service-control --start vsphere-ui

• • • • Try to  Re-enable VCHA  again
      • NOTE: If it fails try increasing session timeout to greater than10hrs