HTTP ERROR 503 when trying to download logs from the host's web UI

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• While accessing the Host Client to download logs, https://esxi.example.com/cgi-bin/vm-support.cgi a "HTTP ERROR 503"
• This may also appear as an "HTTP ERROR 404 NOT FOUND"

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 9.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0

Cause

There's a missing entry in the reverse HTTP proxy pointing to "/cgi-bin    local    8303    redirect    allow"

Resolution

SSH into the affected ESXi Host

1. Navigate to /etc/vmware/rhtpproxy
    
   • cd /etc/vmware/rhttpproxy
     
     
2. Take a backup copy of the endpoints.conf file
   
   
   • cp endpoints.conf endpoints.conf.bk
     
     
3. Edit endpoints.conf file
   
   
   • vi endpoints.conf
     
     
4. Add the missing second line that points to /cgi-bin
   • Before the change:
     
     /    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /client/clients.xml    local    8309    allow    allow
     /fdm    local    9089    reject    allow
     /folder    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /guestFile    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /ha-nfc    local    12001    allow    allow
     /host    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /mob    namedpipe    /var/run/vmware/proxy-mob    redirect    allow
     /mobfdm    local    9090    redirect    allow
     /nfc    local    12000    allow    allow
     /screen    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /sdk    local    8307    redirect    allow
     /sdkTunnel    namedpipetunnel    /var/run/vmware/proxy-sdk-tunnel    allow    reject
     /ticket    tickettunnel    /var/run/vmware/ticket/%1    redirect    allow
     /tmp    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /vpxa    local    8089    reject    allow
     /vvold    local    8090    allow    allow
     /wsman    local    8889    redirect    allow
     
     
   • After the change
     
     /    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /cgi-bin    local    8303    redirect    allow ← This is the line that was missing
     /client/clients.xml    local    8309    allow    allow
     /fdm    local    9089    reject    allow
     /folder    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /guestFile    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /ha-nfc    local    12001    allow    allow
     /host    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /mob    namedpipe    /var/run/vmware/proxy-mob    redirect    allow
     /mobfdm    local    9090    redirect    allow
     /nfc    local    12000    allow    allow
     /screen    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /sdk    local    8307    redirect    allow
     /sdkTunnel    namedpipetunnel    /var/run/vmware/proxy-sdk-tunnel    allow    reject
     /ticket    tickettunnel    /var/run/vmware/ticket/%1    redirect    allow
     /tmp    local    8309    redirect    allow
     /vpxa    local    8089    reject    allow
     /vvold    local    8090    allow    allow
     /wsman    local    8889    redirect    allow
     
     Note: the rest of lines depend on the ESXi version, so don't copy literally. Only add the second line that is missing
     
     
5. Restart the rhttpproxy service
   
   
   • /etc/init.d/rhttpproxy restart
     
     Note: If didn't start properly, Restart the management agents
     
     
6. To make the change persistent after reboot, run the below command

• • /sbin/auto-backup.sh