vCenter Server UI displays "no healthy upstream" due to VMware vCenter Server (vmware-vpxd) failing to start.

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• Accessing VCSA using UI returns "no healthy upstream".
• Attempting the start the services manually fails to start vpxd service.
• vpxd logs (/var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log) is not updating and service start fails immediately.
• Executing the command /sbin/vpxd returns "Aborted (core dumped)".

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x

VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x

Cause

This issue is caused by the vCenter Server configuration file /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.cfg containing invalid or duplicate entries for the vcls runtime mode (retreat mode/normal mode).

Resolution

1. Log in to the VCSA using SSH.
2. Validate that vpxd.cfg is not empty.

• • less /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.cfg
  • In case the configuration file is blank, refer to Recreate corrupt/empty vpxd.cfg file.

     3.To check the vCLS stack entry in the vpxd file. 

• • less /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.cfg | grep -i 'vcls'

     4. Execute the below command to clear the vCLS entries.

• • sed '/<vcls>/,/<\/vcls>/d' -i /etc/vmware-vpx/vpxd.cfg

     5. Proceed to start the services on the vCenter Server.

• • service-control --start --all


Additional Information

Further information about the VCLS retreat mode configuration can be found in  Disable vCLS on a Cluster via Retreat Mode