Replication Status Change Alarm - Topologysvc False Positive Alerts

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

vCenter servers in Enhanced Linked mode show the following error in the UI:

     vCenter server replication status change alarm

Environment

vCenter 7.x

vCenter 8.x

Cause

This alarm can be caused by X replication changes behind, or if the replication service (VMDIRD) is in an unhealthy state. 

vCenter Server Replication Status Change Alarm in the vCenter Server UI
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/369323/vcenter-server-replication-status-change.html

First steps for this alarm are to validate if the above KB resolves the issue. 

 

The difference for the replication alarm/topology service issue is if you observe the following log snippets. Topologysvc detects the last consumable change in a replication partner (vCenter) is a delete entry and generates a false positive for the replication alarm. 

 

> Journalctl Output shows toplogysvc error before replication alarm switches from green (healthy) to red (unhealthy) state.
[vim.event.EventEx] [error] [TIER0-VSPHERE. LOCAL\topologysvc-1c4f4b2e-6333-499a-80c2-80309905778d] [vCenter Server Replication Status : RED . Reason-1: Partner Replication state is broken for the node(s): vcenter1.example.com
 [vim.event.AlarmStatusChangedEvent] [info] [Alarm 'vCenter Server Replication Status Change Alarm' on Datacenters changed from Green to Red]

 

> Additionally these errors can be observed in the logging

> Topologysvc Log
2025-09-24T14:15:29.745+02:00 [pool-5-thread-1 [] INFO  com.vmware.vcenter.topology.impl.ReplicationStatusCheck  opId=] Raising new alarm with message [Reason-1: Partner Replication state is broken for the node(s): vcenter1.example.com
] and replication status [RED] !!! 
 
> vmdird Log
ERROR: InternalDeleteEntry: VdirExecutePostDeleteCommitPlugins - code(9703)

 

 

Resolution

This alarm can be safely ignored once the replication health has been validated. 

vCenter Server Replication Status Change Alarm in the vCenter Server UI
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/369323/vcenter-server-replication-status-change.html