Site Recovery Manager (SRM) plugin is missing or inaccessible in vCenter Server Enhanced Linked Mode due to replication failure

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

 

• The Site Recovery Manager (SRM) plugin is missing or not visible in the vSphere Client of one vCenter Server in an Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) environment.

• The plugin may appear as Inaccessible in the "Client Plug-Ins" list of the affected vCenter.

• The partner vCenter Server in the ELM domain displays the SRM plugin correctly and shows it as accessible.

• Reconfiguring the SRM or vSphere Replication appliance does not resolve the issue.

• Running the vdcrepadmin diagnostic command on the vCenter Server Appliance shows that replication status is unavailable or significantly behind.

  Example Output (Broken State):
  
  root@vcenter01 [ ~ ]# /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcrepadmin -f showpartnerstatus -h localhost -u administrator
  password:
  Partner: vcenter01.example.com
  Host available:   Yes
  Status available: No
  
  Example Output (High Lag):
  
  Partner: vcenter01.example.com
  Host available:   Yes
  Status available: Yes
  My last change number:             5067716
  Partner has seen my change number: 5057133
  Partner is 10583 changes behind.
  

 

Environment

VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.x, 9.x
VMware vCenter Server Version: 8.x

Cause

This issue occurs when the VMware Directory Service (vmdir) replication between vCenter Server partners in Enhanced Linked Mode is broken or desynchronized.

SRM registers as an extension in the global VMware Directory Service. Ideally, this registration is replicated to all vCenter Servers in the Single Sign-On (SSO) domain. If vmdir replication is failing, the extension data for SRM is not propagated to the partner vCenter, causing the vSphere Client on that node to fail to render the plugin.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, you must repair the replication between the vCenter Server instances. This is a vSphere-level fix; no changes are typically required on the SRM appliance itself.

Step 1: Verify vCenter Replication Status

1. Log in to each vCenter Server Appliance in the ELM domain via SSH as root.

2. Run the following command to check partner status:
   
   /usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcrepadmin -f showpartnerstatus -h localhost -u administrator

   1. Identify the node where Status available is No or where the "Partner is X changes behind" count is continually increasing without decreasing.

   Step 2: Repair vCenter Replication

   Note: Please ensure you have valid offline (powered-off) snapshots of all vCenter Servers in the SSO domain before attempting repair.

   • If the vmdir state is Read-Only or Standalone, you may need to reset it to Normal using vdcadmintool.

   • If the replication agreement is permanently broken, you may need to use the fixpsc script or cross-domain repointing techniques.

   Refer to the following vSphere documentation for specific repair steps:

   • VMware Knowledge Base Article 312122: Fix PSC/vmdir inconsistencies using fixpsc python script

   • VMware Knowledge Base Article 376504: Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) remains broken between the VCSA nodes

   Step 3: Verify Resolution

   1. Once the vCenter repair is complete, run the vdcrepadmin command again.

   2. Ensure Status available is Yes and the change lag is negligible (e.g., < 100 changes).

   3. Log out and log back in to the vSphere Client on the affected vCenter.

   4. The Site Recovery Manager plugin should now be visible and accessible.

Additional Information

Determining replication agreements and status with the Platform Services Controller (PSC)