VCF Workload Domain Import stuck in ACTIVATING state after internal vcf_brownfield.py failure

Products

• VCF Operations
• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer

Issue/Introduction

• A VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Workload Domain import task fails to complete.
• The Configuration Status in the SDDC Manager UI remains stuck in an ACTIVATING state.
• The SDDC Manager UI displays the following error message detailing an internal script failure:
  
  Import operation for import with <UUID> failed internally. Command was python3 /opt/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/scripts/vcf-import-tool/vcf_brownfield.py import --skip-ssh-thumbprint-validation --sso-user administrator@<REDACTED_HOSTNAME> --vcenter <REDACTED_HOSTNAME> --internal-vcf-auth --nsx-deployment-spec-path /tmp/nsxDeploymentSpec.json

Cause

This issue occurs when the `vcf_brownfield.py` import script encounters a transient environmental failure (such as a temporary SSH timeout, vCenter API unresponsiveness, or network hiccup) during its original execution. The script fails internally, but the SDDC Manager state machine does not cleanly register the exception, leaving the UI visual status hung at `ACTIVATING`.

Resolution

Because the underlying environmental failure was transient and the UI state is merely hung, restarting the task forces the domain manager to re-evaluate the environment and resume the import workflow.

1. Log in to the **SDDC Manager UI**.
2. Navigate to the tasks pane or the specific Workload Domain displaying the hung `ACTIVATING` status.
3. Click the **RESTART TASK** button.
4. Monitor the task progress. The task should bypass the previous transient failure and successfully transition the Configuration State to `ACTIVE`.

 **Note:** If the task fails again after restarting, the issue is not transient. However, the restart will have successfully generated a fresh set of log bundles. Collect the logs from `/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/brownfield/<UUID>/` on the SDDC Manager appliance for further investigation.