vSphere Replication job is in Error status with error of 'An error occurred while communicating with the remote host'.

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware Live Recovery
• VMware vSAN

Issue/Introduction

• Existing vSphere Replication jobs report errors.
• New vSphere Replication jobs fail to fully configure.
• VMware vSAN is the destination storage type.
• vSphere Replication hms.log reports the following error:
  • 2025-04-12 00:47:29.664 DEBUG com.vmware.hms.eventlog.EventServiceImpl [hms-main-thread-21] (..hms.eventlog.EventServiceImpl)
[operationID=##-##-##-##-##-HMS-170,sessionID=X, task=HTID-##-##-##-##-##]
| logEvent: (stream: PrimaryGroupEntity/GID-##-##-##-##-## #2; id:##-##-##-##-##/n
ull; time:1744418849663) {"@type":"PrimaryGroupConfigurationStateUpdatedEvent","sourceId":"GID-##-##-##-##-##
##","sourceVersion":2,"sourceType":"PrimaryGroupEntity","sourceSiteId":"##-##-##-##-##","logOperation
Id":"##-##-##-##-##-HMS-170","destinationSiteId":"##-##-##-##-##","configState":"error","configError":{"@type":"ExceptionInfo","typeName":"com.vmware.vim.binding.vmodl.fault.HostCommunication","message":"An error occurred while communicating with the remote host.","cause":null,"properties":null,"faultProperties":null},"completedOperationId":null}
2025-04-12 00:47:29.795 TRACE com.vmware.hms.replication.primaryGroup.status [hms-main-thread-21] (..db.entities.PrimaryGroupEntity) [operationID=##-##-##-##-##-HMS-170,sessionID=X, task=HTID-##-##-##-##-##] | The status of group GID-##-##-##-##-## changed from [configuring; -1] to [error; 1]
• vSphere Replication port testing uncovers no issues.
• vSAN node in destination cluster is in a "Not Responding" state or displays "Cannot synchronize host" on the summary tab.
  • Host has the following message in the vpxa.log
    • [YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS] F6E73B90 verbose 'App' opID=task-internal-349047-7f8a0b5a] [VpxVmomi] Invoke error: vpxapi.VpxaService.login session: Throw: vim.fault.InvalidLogin

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x
VMware vSphere Replication 8.x
VMware vSphere Replication 9.x
VMware vSAN (any version)

Cause

In order for vSphere Replication to satisfy the configured replication jobs, it depends on the health of the destination host and storage.  vSAN storage is distributed in nature thus all hosts in the destination vSAN cluster participate at a storage and management level to satisfy IO targeting the vSAN storage solution hosted by the cluster.  Should a vSAN host enter a not responding state, it can negatively impact full vSAN availability.

Resolution

Perform the steps listed in KB Error: "cannot synchronize host" appears in the host summary page to resynchronize the host with vCenter.

That should resolve if the vpxa.log vim.fault.InvalidLogin error is the only contributing factor.  If the host still maintains its "Not responding" state then consult the following KB for additional checks: Troubleshooting an ESXi host in a "not responding" state