Error: "java.net.UnknownHostException" when deploying vApp

Products

• VMware Cloud Director

Issue/Introduction

• vApp deployment fails in VMware Cloud Director (VCD).
• The vcloud-container-debug.log contains the following error:

  com.vmware.ssdc.util.LMException: Error caused vCenter Server disconnectinvocation failed with "java.net.UnknownHostException: ####.####.com"

• Reviewing the vCenter in the VCD user interface shows that it is not connected and attempts to reconnect are unsuccessful.
• Attempts to connect to the vCenter from the command line on one or more cells results in name resolution failures.
• Utilizing nslookup to resolve the vCenter fully qualified domain name result in a response similar to the following:
  
  timed out to ##.##.##.###53

Environment

VMware Cloud Director 10.4.3

VMware Cloud Director 10.6.x

Cause

• This issue can occur due to a name resolution failure between the VCD cells and vCenter.
• Additionally, a cosmetic issue may exist where a failed user account authentication is incorrectly reported as a UnknownHostException in the logs.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, perform the following steps:

1. Validate Name Resolution: From each VCD cell, verify that the vCenter FQDN can be resolved using nslookup or ping.
2. Use IP Address: If DNS is inconsistent, modify the vCenter Server Instance configuration in VCD to use the IP address instead of the FQDN:
   • Navigate to Resources > Infrastructure Resources > vCenter Server Instances.
   • Edit the affected vCenter and replace the FQDN with the static IP address.
3. Update Credentials: Verify and update the user account configured for the vCenter Server Instance. Ensure the account has sufficient permissions and is not locked.

Additional Information

For general vCenter connectivity troubleshooting, see KB 325551

For additional information on the configuration of DNS in VMware Cloud Director, refer to the following:

Edit the DNS Settings of Your VMware Cloud Director Appliance