Deploy NSX Manager for Workload Domains using VCF Import Tool fails with Error: Locator does not refer to an object

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager
• VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x
• VMware Cloud Foundation

Issue/Introduction

• VCF Brownfield Import fails at deploying NSX Managers.

• Converting a vSphere Environment to a Management Domain using VCF Import tool and deploy NSX Manager for Workload Domains is failing. Reference documents

  • Convert a vSphere Environment to a Management Domain or Import a vSphere Environment as a VI Workload Domain in VMware Cloud Foundation

  • Deploy NSX Manager for Workload Domains

• Below error is observed in SDDC Manager appliance in following path /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log 

  LocalProcess Output: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss - Opening OVA source: /nfs/vmware/ycf/nfs-mount/bundle/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx/bundle-xxxxxx/nsx_t_manager_instal1/nsx-t-install-4.2.1.0.0-24304122/nsx-unified-appliance-4.2.1.0.0.24302016.ova
  LocalProcess Output: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss - The manifest does not validate
  LocalProcess Output: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss - Error: Locator does not refer to an object: vi://svc-xxx-xx-sddc01-xxx-xx-VC01%[email protected]:443/xxx-Datacenter/host/SAN-Cluster/Resources/Management
  LocalProcess Output: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss - Warning:
  LocalProcess Output: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss - - The manifest is present but user flag causing to skip it
  LocalProcess Output: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss - Completed with errors
  com.vmware evo. sddc orchestrator exceptions OrchIaskException: Invalid parameter: Ovftool pre-verification failed for deployment of VM xxx-xx-NSXM01 on VC xxx-xx-vc01.example.com with message Local command /usr/bin/ovftool -- skipManifestCheck -- powerOn -- diskMode=thin -- acceptAllEulas -- allowExtraConfig --ipProtocol=IPv4 -- ipAllocationPolicy=fixedPolicy -- targetSSLThumbprint=21:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:41 -- verifyOnly -- prop:nsx_role=NSX Manager -- prop:nsx_ip_0=xx.xx.xx.xx -- prop:nsx_netmask_0=xxx.xxx.xxx.x -- prop:nsx_gateway_0=xx.xx.xx.xx -- network=dvLAN_ephemeral --deploymentOption=medium -- X: logFile=/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/nsxt-manager-ovfxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.log -- X: logLevel=info -- datastore=ysanDatastore -- name=xxxxx-NSXM01-- prop:nsx_hostname=xxx-xx-NSXM01.example.com -- prop:nsx_dns1_0=xx.xx.xx.xx,xx.xx.xx.xx -- prop:nsx_ntp_0=xx.xx.xx.xx-- prop:nsx_passwd_0***mount/bundle/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx/bundle-xxxxxx/nsx_t_manager_install/nsx-t-install-4.2.1.0.0-24304122/nsx-unified-appliance-4.2.1.0.0.24302016.ova vi://[email protected]:*****

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2.x

Cause

• vCenter VM is not directly under the Datacenter folder.

• Since SDDC Manager only supports a one-level nested placement for the resource pool under the cluster object, this causes a failure during the deployment of the NSX VM.

Resolution

1. In vCenter UI, move the vCenter VM from the nested resource pool to a newly created resource pool placed directly under the cluster object (i.e., vSAN-Cluster). And if applicable, move from nested folders to directly under datacenter.

2. Restart the failed NSX deployment task from the SDDC Management web console.

Note: If the vCenter VMs and NSX VMs need to be under specific folder and resource pools , It can be moved after the deployment task is successful from SDDC Manager.