In a vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) configuration, users may encounter the following issues:
- Unable to edit the settings of VMs on a different vCenter.
- Unable to create new VMs.
The error message displayed is:
Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'childNodes')
vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode
Enhanced Linked Mode requires that all vCenter instances in the group be running the same version for proper database replication across the linked vCenters. If one of the vCenter instances is running a different version, the linked mode replication features may not function as expected.
This is referenced in the official VMware documentation:
Creating vCenter Server Linked Mode Groups
To resolve this issue, ensure that all vCenter instances in the Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) cluster are running the same version. If the source to update the lower version vCenter is no longer available, you will need to update all vCenter nodes to the same build.
Patching/Updating VMware vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) and Platform Service Controller (PSC) through the Appliance Management Interface (VAMI):
Patching/Updating VMware vCenter Server Appliance and PSC
Important:
Before proceeding with any updates, it is strongly recommended to take an offline snapshot of your vCenter.
You can refer to the best practices for snapshots before making changes in an Enhanced Linked Mode environment:
VMware vCenter in Enhanced Linked Mode Pre-Change Snapshot Best Practices
Ensure that all linked vCenter instances are synchronized in terms of version and build to avoid further issues.