Configuring a vCenter Account in VCF Operations fails with the following error "Connection Timed out"

Products

• VCF Operations

Issue/Introduction

• Attempting to add a vCenter Server integration account in VCF Operations 9.x fails with the following error "Connection Timed out":
  
• This issue is often observed in newly deployed, standalone VCF Operations environments when configuring initial integrations.

Environment

VCF Operations 9.x

Cause

When VCF Operations attempts to integrate with a vCenter Server, the VCF Operations node must initiate a connection to the vCenter Server's API over TCP port 443. 
The Connection Timed out error indicates a Layer 3 or Layer 4 network connectivity failure. This is most commonly caused by an intermediate firewall blocking the required HTTPS API traffic over port 443 or a routing misconfiguration between the VCF Operations appliance and the target vCenter Server. Because the packets are dropped, the TCP handshake fails to complete, resulting in the timeout exception in the user interface.

Resolution

Ensure the network path allows for the required port communication between the appliances to resolve this issue.

1. Engage the internal network or security team to verify the routing configuration between the VCF Operations appliance IP address and the vCenter Server IP address.
2. Ensure intermediate firewalls allow bidirectional traffic on TCP port 443.
3. Test the connectivity between VCF Operations and the vCenter Server by establishing an SSH session to the VCF Operations appliance, logging in as the root account, and running the following command:
   curl -v telnet://<vCenter_FQDN_or_IP>:443
4. Once the firewall rules have been updated and network connectivity on port 443 is validated, return to the VCF Operations UI and re-attempt to add the vCenter Server account.

Additional Information

Configure a vCenter Account in VCF Operations