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Manually Setting Cluster IP Address for Clustered VirtualCenter Server

Details

When installed on Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) (or other clustered-Windows configuration), VirtualCenter disseminates its node IP address rather than the cluster’s IP address to the hosts that it manages, which can lead to connectivity issues during fail-over situations. This article provides a couple of workarounds.

Solution

When installed on Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) (or other clustered-Windows configuration), VirtualCenter disseminates its node IP address rather than the cluster’s IP address to managed hosts, which can lead to connectivity issues during fail-over situations. To circumvent this issue, you can add a String key, managedip, comprising the cluster IP address to the Virtual Center Windows Registry key:
 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE->SOFTWARE->VMWare, Inc.->VMWare VirtualCenter

Alternatively, you can manually set the proper cluster IP address in VirtualCenter server’s configuration file, vpxd.cfg.

To manually set the cluster’s IP address in vpxd.cfg:
  1. Navigate to the location of the vpxd.cfg file. By default, the vpxd.cfg file is located in this directory:
    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter
  2. Use a text editor (such as Notepad) to open the vpxd.cfg file. The vpxd.cfg file is an XML-formatted text file that contains various configuration details for the VirtualCenter server.
  3. Add <managedip> opening tag (as a child of the <vpxd> element) to the file.
  4. Enter the IP address of the cluster.
  5. Add the </managedip> closing tag.

    When you’ve finished, the section of the vpxd.cfg file should look similar to the following:
    <managedip>
    nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn
    </managedip>

  6. Save the file and exit the text editor.
  7. From the Windows Start menu, select Administrative Tools from the Programs menu.
  8. Select Services from the Adminstrative Tools menu.
  9. Scroll through the Services menu until you find the VMware VirtualCenter Server service control panel, select it, and then click Restart.
  10. Find the VMware Virtual Infrastructure Web Access service control panel, select it, and click Restart.
In addition, you must copy the SSL certificate files from the primary VirtualCenter server to all other nodes in the cluster so that ESX hosts in the VirtualCenter inventory can automatically reconnect to VirtualCenter cluster in the event of a failover. The SSL certificate files are located in:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\SSL

Keywords

2195771; VirtualCenter on MSCS (clusters); configure cluster IP address

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Actions
  • KB Article: 2195771
  • Updated: Aug 14, 2009
  • Products:
    VMware ESX
    VMware Server
    VMware VirtualCenter
  • Product Versions:
    VMware VirtualCenter 2.0.x