vCenter Upgrade Fails in Stage 2 due to inability to configure NTP on target appliance
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vCenter Upgrade Fails in Stage 2 due to inability to configure NTP on target appliance

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Article ID: 381796

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

A vCenter upgrade from 7.x to 8.x fails at Stage 2 with errors indicating time synchronization could not be set up with NTP:

Could not set up time synchronization
Verify that provided ntp servers are valid.

Failed to set the time via NTP.  Details: Failed to sync to NTP servers.  Code:
com.vmware.applmgmt.err_ntp_sync_failed. 
Verify that provided ntp servers are valid



The /var/log/vmware/upgrade/bootstrap.log contains entries similar to:

[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].845Z INFO transfer_network Preserving time sync configuration {'VC_TIMESYNC_NTP_SERVERS': '192.xxx.xxx.xxx', 'VC_TIMESYNC_TOOLS': '0', 'VC_TIMESYNC_NTP': '1'}to file /storage/seat/cis-export-folder/system-data/timesyncconfig.json
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].121Z INFO install_param_utils 'appliance.ntp.servers' successfully set to 192.xxx.xxx.xxx
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].855Z  Getting value for install-parameter: appliance.ntp.servers
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].855Z  setting time sync to ntp
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].843Z  ERROR: Failed 1/3 times. Exception: Failed to sync to NTP servers.. Code: com.vmware.applmgmt.err_ntp_sync_failed
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].858Z  setting time sync to ntp
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].858Z  ERROR: Failed 2/3 times. Exception: Failed to sync to NTP servers.. Code: com.vmware.applmgmt.err_ntp_sync_failed
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].874Z  setting time sync to ntp
[YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS].851Z  ERROR: Failed 3/3 times. Exception: Failed to sync to NTP servers.. Code: com.vmware.applmgmt.err_ntp_sync_failed
            "id": "install.setnet.set.timesync.ntp",
            "translatable": "Failed to set the time via NTP. Details: %(0)s",
                "Failed to sync to NTP servers.. Code: com.vmware.applmgmt.err_ntp_sync_failed"
            "localized": "Failed to set the time via NTP. Details: Failed to sync to NTP servers.. Code: com.vmware.applmgmt.err_ntp_sync_failed"
        "id": "install.setnet.set.timesync.ntp.res",
        "translatable": "Verify that provided ntp servers are valid.",
        "localized": "Verify that provided ntp servers are valid."
apply_networking.UserUpgradeNetworkConfigError: [Failed to set the time via NTP. Details: Failed to sync to NTP servers.. Code: com.vmware.applmgmt.err_ntp_sync_failed, Could not set up time synchronization.]

Environment

vCenter Server 7.x

Cause

This is likely due to one of the following:

One or more NTP servers is not responding correctly over NTP protocol.
There is a connectivity issue between the vCenter IP address or temporary IP address and the NTP server(s).

Resolution

Resolution:

  • Correct any connectivity issues to the NTP server(s).
  • Ensure that the NTP server is functioning properly.
  • Confirm that vCenter is receiving time by issuing the "ntpq -p" command via an SSH session to vCenter.
    Retry the upgrade.

Workaround:

  • Ensure the ESXi host where the source vCenter is running on has NTP enabled and is working correctly - Configuring Network Time Protocol (NTP) on an ESXi host using the vSphere Client
  • In the source appliance, login to the vCenter Management Interface (VAMI), select "Time" form the left menu then configure to use "Host" and not NTP or Disabled.
  • Power down the source appliance, login to the ESXi Host Client, Edit Settings of the VM, then under VM Options --> VMware Tools, select "Synchronize Time with Host".
  • This will ensure that the source vCenter VM is not relying on NTP to complete the upgrade. 
  • After powering the source appliance back up, retry the upgrade.
  • Once the upgrade is complete, and any NTP issues are resolved, vCenter can be reconfigured back to use NTP.

Additional Information

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