vCenter Unreachable After DNS server and Hostname Update

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

After updating the DNS servers and hostname on your vCenter Appliance, the vCenter became unreachable. vpxd-svcs and other services aren't running and you cannot login to vCenter.

Environment

vCenter 7.x

vCenter 8.x

Cause

You changed multiple network settings at once.  

Resolution

Caution: Before applying the steps below, please take a backup or an offline-snapshot (in powered-off state) of the vCenter Server Appliance (powered off snapshot is preferred). If the vCenter is part of a Enhanced Linked Mode replication setup, please backup or take powered off snapshot of all replicating nodes as well.  If your vCenter is utilizing vCenter HA, please Remove vCenter HA before you take any snapshots, see Remove a vCenter HA Configuration.  After you have resolved everything and your snapshots are all Deleted you may recreate the vCenter HA (also called VCHA).  

1. Verify the hostname, PNID, and DC Name all match (including in their case).
   1. Verify the hostname.
      
      hostname
      
      
   2. Verify the PNID.
      
      /usr/lib/vmware-vmafd/bin/vmafd-cli get-pnid --server-name localhost
      
      
   3. Verify the DC Name.
      
      /opt/likewise/bin/lwregshell ls "[HKEY_THIS_MACHINE\Services\vmafd\Parameters]" | grep DCName | awk '{print $2,$NF}'
2. Roll back to snapshot or backup you took before you tried to change the hostname and DNS.
   
   Caution: When a vCenter is in Enhanced Linked Mode you must revert all replicating nodes to the same snapshot.  
   
   
3. Change the DNS server, see Update DNS Server IP address for vCenter Server and verify that completes successfully.  Then change the hostname, see How to update vCenter hostname to match PNID.

 

Additional Information

If you cannot revert the snapshot or restore from backup you may have to redeploy vCenter.  Please raise a case with VMware by Broadcom.