ovfEnv.xml is empty after re-registering Aria Operations to vSphere Client

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

• Aria Operations was re-registered in the vSphere Client (e.g., *1 registering from the .vmx file, *2 adding the virtual machine along with an ESXi host).

• vApp options are disabled on the virtual machine object of Aria Operations.

• The file /opt/vmware/etc/ovfEnv.xml in Aria Operations appliance is empty or does not exist.

Environment

Aria Operations 8.18.x

Cause

vApp options are configured by default when Aria Operations is initially deployed. However, unregistering Aria Operations from vCenter Server results in the loss of these vApp options. It is expected behavior that vApp options remain disabled when the virtual machine is re-registered.

Powering on the virtual machine while vApp options are disabled results in an empty ovfEnv.xml file.

The issue prevents Aria Operations from processing configuration changes, such as IP address updates.

Resolution

Restore the vApp options. Restoring these options automatically recreates the ovfEnv.xml file.
For the specific procedure to restore vApp options, refer to the following article:

Restoring vApp properties in VMware Aria Operations 8.14 and Later

Additional Information

*1 Remove and Reregister VMs and VM Templates > Register a VM or VM Template with vCenter Server
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/vsphere-virtual-machine-administration-guide-8-0/managing-virtual-machinesvsphere-vm-admin/adding-and-removing-virtual-machinesvsphere-vm-admin/adding-and-removing-virtual-machinesvsphere-vm-admin.html

*2 How to Add a Host to Your vSphere Data Center or Folder
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/vcenter-and-host-management-8-0/organizing-your-inventory-host-management/add-a-host-to-a-folder-or-a-data-center-host-management.html