vSAN Cluster Services: 'Shut down' status remains in vCenter Server after restart
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vSAN Cluster Services: 'Shut down' status remains in vCenter Server after restart

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Article ID: 392805

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vSAN

Issue/Introduction

After a successful vSAN cluster restart, the vSAN health service on vCenter Server may continue to report a "shut down" status. The Restart option remains visible in the vSphere Client, and certain management tabs may be missing. This issue typically involves cluster power status inconsistencies within the configuration files following a proactive cluster shutdown or a power outage where the shutdown wizard was interrupted or did not complete.

Symptoms

  • vSAN cluster services status incorrectly indicates: The vSAN cluster has been shut down. Click the Restart button to start the vSAN cluster.
  • The vSAN tab may be missing from the vCenter Monitor section.
  • The Restart button is visible under Cluster > Configure > vSAN > Services despite all Virtual Machines (VMs) and the cluster functioning properly.
  • vCLS VMs fail to redeploy or remain in Retreat Mode after the cluster restart.
  • The restart process may appear to hang while Re-Enabling HA.

Environment

  • vCenter Server: 7.0.x, 8.0.x
  • VMware vSphere ESXi: 7.0.x, 8.0.x
  • VMware vSAN: 7.0.x, 8.0.x

Cause

During a vSAN cluster shutdown, the vCenter Server writes a "PoweredOff" state for the cluster domain to the local configuration file. If the shutdown workflow is interrupted, paused, or fails to clear the metadata upon restart, the vSAN health service retains a stale entry. This prevents the UI from reflecting the actual active state of the cluster and can block the automatic deployment of vCLS VMs.

Resolution

Part 1: Clear Stale Power Status

  1. Open an SSH session to the vCenter Server.
  2. Navigate to the configuration file: /etc/vmware-vsan-health/config.conf
  3. Locate the [PowerSystem] section.
  4. Remove the line indicating the powered-off state.
    • Example: state_for_domain-c#### = vcVMPoweredOff (Note: c#### is a placeholder for your specific domain ID).
  5. Restart the vSAN health service by running the following command: vmon-cli -r vsan-health

Part 2: Restore vCLS and DRS Functionality

If vCLS remains in "Retreat Mode" or DRS is non-functional, perform these steps:

  1. Log into the vSphere Client.
  2. Navigate to Cluster > Configure > vSphere Cluster Services > General.
  3. Click EDIT VCLS MODE.
  4. Change the mode to Normal (if it is set to Retreat Mode, toggle it to refresh the service).
  5. Click OK.

Additional Information

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