VCHA configuration fails with an error "vCenter HA has an invalid configuration. Remove vCenter HA to destroy the current cluster configuration and set up vCenter HA again"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• When configuring vCenter High Availability (VCHA), the configuration fails with the following error message:
  • vCenter HA has an invalid configuration. Remove vCenter HA to destroy the current cluster configuration and set up vCenter HA again

• The Passive node is successfully deployed; however, the Witness node deployment fails to initiate.
  
  
• From /var/log/vmware/vcha/sshconnect.log  (of the active VCHA node)
  

  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ WARNING sshConnect retry attempt 238 failed [Errno None] Unable to connect to port 22 on <Passive node IP address>
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ INFO sshConnect Retry attempt 238
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ WARNING sshConnect retry attempt 239 failed [Errno None] Unable to connect to port 22 on <Passive node IP address>
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ INFO sshConnect Retry attempt 239
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ WARNING sshConnect retry attempt 240 failed [Errno None] Unable to connect to port 22 on <Passive node IP address>
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ INFO sshConnect Retry attempt 240

  
  
  
• From /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log

  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ info vpxd[09246] [Originator@6876 sub=vpxLro opID=sps-Main-######-###-######-#] [VpxLRO] -- FINISH 1ro-5427456
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ info vpxd[07270]
  -> Spec: {
  'active": {
  "ha_ip": {
  "default gateway": ""
  "dns servers": null,
  "ip_family": "IPV4",
  "ipv4": {
  "address": "<Active node IP address>",
  "prefix": null,
  "subnet mask": "###.###.###.###"
  "ipv6": null
  "ha network": null,
  "ha_network_type": null
  
  "deployment": "AUTO",
  "passive": {
  "failover_ip": null,
  "ha_ip": (
  "default_gateway": null,
  "dns_servers": null,
  "ip_family": "IPV4",
  "ipv4": {
  "address": "<Passive node IP address>"
  "prefix": null,
  "subnet mask": "###.###.###.###"
  mipv6": null
  
  "placement": {
  "folder": "#####-##:########-####-####-####-############"
  "ha_network": "###########-#####:########-####-####-####-############",
  "ha_network_type": "##############",
  "host": null,
  "management_network": "###########-#####:########-####-####-####-############",
  "management network type": "##############",
  "name": "<Name of the passive node VM>",
  "resource pool": "########-#####:########-####-####-####-############",
  "storage": {
  "datastore": "#########-#####:########-####-####-####-############"

   

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server Appliance 7.X
• VMware vCenter Server Appliance 8.X

Cause

This issue is caused by an incorrect configuration of the vSphere HA network IP address during the vCenter HA (VCHA) setup. Specifically, the passive and witness node IP addresses are not configured or are configured incorrectly, preventing proper communication between the nodes over port 22.

Resolution

• Remove vCenter HA 
• • Remove a vCenter HA Configuration
    
    
• Re-Configure vCenter HA with appropriate details.
  • Configure vCenter HA With the vSphere Client 
    
    
• Ensure that the vSphere HA network IP address are reachable over port 22.