"Unable to connect to the lookup service" error observed while launching the site recovery UI.

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• While logging into the Site Recovery UI, getting an error as:
   Unable to connect to Lookup Service at https://VC02:443/lookupservice/sdk. Reason:https://VC02:443/lookupservice/sdk invocation failed with java net ConnectException: Timeout connecting to VC02:443
  
  
  
  
• Attempt to reconnect the vSphere Replication failing with an error as :
   Unable to connect to Lookup Service at https://vc02:443/lookupservice/sdk. Reason:https://vc02:443/lookupservice/sdk invocation failed with "org.apache.http.conn.ConnectTimeoutException:Connect to vc02:443 vc02 failed:connect timed out"

From Site Recovery UI > Reconnect > Select vSphere Replication.
  
  

Environment

VMware vSphere Replication 9.x

Cause

The issue is caused by a communication failure where port 443 is blocked between the vSphere Replication appliance and vCenter Server.

• From vSphere Replication /opt/vmware/support/logs/dr-client/dr.log, there is an error with "connect time out"
  
  2025-12-08 12:09:09, 531 [srm-reactive-thread-25] WARN com. vmware.dr. client. shared.pairing. CheckPscCredentialsRequestHandler 4458717922692302188 9a145855-3e32-4614-8175-cf22c29a8442 checkPscCredentials - DrRequestHandlerError:com. vmware. vim. vmomi. client. exception. ConnectionException: Unable to connect to Lookup Service at https://xxxxx.xxxxxx.xx.local: 443/lookupservice/sdk. Reason: https://xxxxx.xxxxx.xx.local: 443/lookupservice/k invocation failed with "org. xxxx.http.conn.ConnectTimeoutException: Connect to xxxxx.xxxxx.xx.local: 443 [xxxxx.xxxxx.xx.local/14.##.##.62] failed:connect timed out"
at com. vmware. vim. vmomi. client.common. impl. ResponseImpl. setError (ResponseImpl. java:265)
at com. vmware. vim. vmomi. client.http. impl. HttpExchangeBase. setResponseError (HttpExchangeBase. java: 355)
at java.base/java.lang. Thread. run (Unknown Source)
Caused by: org. apache.http.conn.ConnectTimeoutException: Connect to xxxxx.xxxxx.xx.local:443 [xxxxx.xxxxx.xx.local/14.##.##.62] failed: connect timed out

• Port is failing to connect between vSphere Replication and vCenter Server

root [ /home/admin ]# curl -v telnet://14.##.##.62:443
Trying 14.##.##.62:443 ...
connect to 14.##.##.62 port 443 failed: Connection timed out
Failed to connect to 14.##.##.62 port 443 after 129755 ms: Couldn't connect to server
Closing connection 0

Resolution

• Please engage the Networking team to open port 443 between the vSphere Replication appliance and the vCenter Server.
  
  
• Once the port is opened, reconnect vSphere Replication through the Site Recovery UI.