vCenter Content Library synchronization settings failing to save in the vCenter UI

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to modify the synchronization behavior of the subscribed content libraries through the vCenter UI, the following symptoms are observed:

• Users are unable to disable automatic synchronization or adjust the synchronization frequency for subscribed content libraries. The vCenter UI appears to allow modification of synchronization settings (e.g., checkboxes for "Enable automatic synchronization" respond, and the "OK" button is active and clickable to confirm the changes).
  However, upon clicking "OK" to apply changes, the wizard remains open, the changes are not registered or saved, and no error message is displayed, effectively preventing any modification to the synchronization frequency or status (enable/disable).
  
  
• No explicit error messages are observed in the vCenter UI or the relevant log files, despite repeated attempts to modify the settings. The following log locations were reviewed, confirming the absence of error indicators related to the failed modification attempts:
  • /var/log/vmware/content-library/cls.log
  • /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log
  • /var/log/vmware/vsphere-ui/logs/vsphere_client_virgo.log
  • /var/log/vmware/vsphere-ui/logs/dataservice.log


• The overall effect is that control over the content library's synchronization behavior is no longer possible.

Environment

vCenter Server 7.x
vCenter Server 8.x

Cause

This issue occurs because the Content Library was initially created with password protection enabled, and the required password has not been entered to unlock these settings.

When a Content Library is created and password-protected, the settings highlighted in the screenshot below become locked:

To modify these locked settings, the original password used during the library's creation must be re-entered. If this password is unknown or lost, the settings cannot be changed, and the options in the UI will appear unresponsive or unmodifiable.

Resolution

If the original password for the Content Library is lost or unknown, the only effective resolution to gain full control over its synchronization settings is to recreate the Subscribed Content Library.