Unable to Connect to MKS:

kj0 · November 2013

Hi All.

I'm hoping someone might have an answer, I tried the VMware blog where I found a "solution" but it hasn't helped.
I hope this will make sense.

I have a nested environment in VMWorkstation 10.0.0. Using VMware ESXi 5.1
I currently have 3 hosts, DC, vCenter, openfiler (ISCSI SAN) running.

I had this set up with only 1 VM running on host 1. I was able to connect to this host and do anything I needed to using vSphere. I am still able to connect to it now.

On Monday, I reinstalled windows from 2012 to 2008. due to the back ups I do, I restore back my settings in my Firewall program Vipre/Sunbelt.

I created a second VM on host 2, but unfortunately I was getting an error of "Unable to Connect to MKS" So I went and created the VM on host 3, I continued to get the error when I went into Console to install windows.
I am still able to connect via console to the VM on Host 1.

I turned off the Firewall both in Server2k8. and Vipre. I also turned it off in vCenter (AS recommended by VMware) and following their instructions to set a line in the /etc/vmware/config file to "True" (which was already set). No luck connecting to any of them.

Each host has 4 NICs, however, only 2 are able to see the production side, and the other 2 are set to see the SAN on a different subnet. They are able to see the SAN still. The two production NICs are set up as Active/Standby. I have added the Mac address into the exception list of my firewall as I have had to do this for VMs in the past with Vipre, I also added the vcenter.

I'm starting to run out of ideas, keep in mind that host 1 is not in any exception list yet, however, host 2 and 3 were set up the same way as host 1, and then got put into exceptions once they weren't working. I have also added the ports 902 - 903 into the open ports list.

Hopefully this is making sense, would be great to see if anyone has come across this before.
Any more information, please ask.

Thanks guys

Essendon · November 2013

DNS issues at all?

kj0 · November 2013

DNS seems to be fine. I did have a couple of issues when I first built where host 1 was failing the hostname test in the DCUI. but if I flushed and cleared cache it was fine - until I restarted, all good now though.

Interesting thing just now - I installed the client on the vCenter and I can see the console perfectly fine. I started to set up vMotion on all the hosts so I could see if migrating the working Vm on Host 1 to another host to see if it continued to work, and move the non-working on Host3 to host 1 to see if the issue would follow and when I ticked vMotion on host 2 and tried to set the vSwitch I got back an error that it couldn't see vcenter - Same with Host 3 - However, I am able to create a VM on both hosts on my desktop and then open up vSphere in vCenter VM and it is there and working.

*sigh* Not making sense to me.

Essendon · November 2013

Disconnect and reconnect hosts 2 and 3.

kj0 · November 2013

... Now you've done it! haha.

I can't reconnect them. getting this error.

Call "Datacenter.QueryConnectionInfo" for object "New Datacenter" on vCenter Server "server2.ssit.com" failed.

Unless there is something missing on my desktop of S2k8, but firewall, security is all the same on vCenter.

kj0 · November 2013

Just attempted through WebGUI. I connected to host 3 perfectly fine, didn't even ask for credentials, however, host 2 asked for credentials and then failed due to no server available. I was able to reconnect them inside vCenter.

kj0 · November 2013

So I migrated the VM to host 1, and I can access the console. So this isn't a VM issue, or a vcenter port issue as I am able to connect via vcenter to Host 1.

I created a 4th host just to give it a go and Walla, it worked! So I decided I would rebuild the two failing hosts. Now they somewhat work, however, even though I have given them 4 Nics each, I can only see 1 in vSphere and it will not allow me to add the other 3.

*sigh* Back to the drawing board...

moto316 · November 2013

kj0 wrote: »

So I migrated the VM to host 1, and I can access the console. So this isn't a VM issue, or a vcenter port issue as I am able to connect via vcenter to Host 1.

I created a 4th host just to give it a go and Walla, it worked! So I decided I would rebuild the two failing hosts. Now they somewhat work, however, even though I have given them 4 Nics each, I can only see 1 in vSphere and it will not allow me to add the other 3.

*sigh* Back to the drawing board...

ssh into the esx vm and do a lspci -v command i think it is. I've just ran into this same problem too and it turns out that on workstation 10 esxi has trouble installing intel drivers for all the nics at once. My bet is the last 3 nics are detected as AMD nics and therefore dont show up. Resolution is to remove the 3, power down, add one nic, boot up, confirm its detected as intel, power down, add another one and repeat the process until you've populated all your nics.

kj0 · November 2013

Thanks for your reply.

I ended up rebuilding the two hosts as I had only just rebuilt them about 10 minutes before hand to remove the original issue. I went through and the only thing I did different with Wks 10 was complete the VMcreation and then reopen settings to add the 3 other nics before powering up the First time.

All is good again.

Essendon · November 2013

I've had random problems too with nested ESXi setups. Believe it or not, I was somehow able to setup FT on a VM sitting on nested ESXi hosts. After I rebuilt my lab, I cant do that any more (exact same setup).

Well atleast it was a good learning experience for you mate.

Unable to Connect to MKS:

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