vSphere Replication Errors: com.vmware.vcHms.RegisterHbrTask.label Due to Blocked Ports

Products

• VMware Live Recovery

Issue/Introduction

Encountering persistent errors within vSphere Replication environment, leading to failed or stalled replication tasks. The vSphere Replication appliance continuously reports the error com.vmware.vcHms.RegisterHbrTask.label. This error prevents the successful registration and communication necessary for vSphere Replication operations to function correctly. This is common particularly when interacting with ESXi hosts located in a DMZ segment.

Environment

vSphere Replication 9.x

VMware Live Recovery 9.x

Cause

The root cause of these task failures is an environmental network configuration issue. Specific critical communication ports required by the vSphere Replication appliance are blocked between the appliance and the ESXi hosts. The affected ports are:

• Port 443 (HTTPS): Used for vCenter and ESXi management plane communication.
• Port 80 (HTTP): Often used for initial communication redirects and certain API calls.
• Port 902 (vSphere Replication Management): Essential for the vSphere Replication appliance's management plane communication with ESXi hosts.

When these ports are blocked, the vSphere Replication appliance cannot establish the necessary connections to register with or manage replication tasks on the target ESXi hosts, resulting in the com.vmware.vcHms.RegisterHbrTask.label error.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, engage with the networking team to open the following ports bidirectionally between the vSphere Replication appliance and all affected ESXi hosts:

• Port 443 (TCP)
• Port 80 (TCP)
• Port 902 (TCP and UDP, though TCP is primary for this context)

Once these ports are successfully opened, the vSphere Replication appliance will be able to establish the required communication pathways with the ESXi hosts, allowing for proper registration and the initiation/maintenance of replication tasks.


Ports Required for vSphere Replication

Additional Information

It is crucial to ensure that network security policies are reviewed periodically, especially in environments involving DMZ segments, to prevent unintended blocking of necessary application-specific ports. Always verify connectivity after port changes using tools like telnet or nc from the vSphere Replication appliance to the ESXi host IPs on the specified ports.