Attempting to add a host to VirtualCenter produces a license error

Details

When you are attempting to add an ESX host to VirtualCenter, VMware Infrastructure (VI) Client displays an error message similar to the following:

There are not enough licenses installed to perform the operation.

Solution

The above error message may be caused by one of these problems:

• The VirtualCenter Server is in an unlicensed state. VirtualCenter may be unlicensed because the edition selected during the installation is not the purchased edition.
• There is a problem with a virtual machine on the ESX host.

Correcting the VirtualCenter Server license state

To correct the VirtualCenter Server license state:

  1.    Launch VI Client and log in to VirtualCenter.
  2.    Choose Administration > VirtualCenter Management Server Configuration. 

  3.    For VirtualCenter Server Edition, choose the edition that is not currently configured and click OK.

This is especially true if you purchased and uploaded VirtualCenter Foundation license and selected VirtualCenter Enterprise during installation.

If the VirtualCenter Server licensing is correct, the problem may be with a virtual machine on the ESX host.

Verifying and correcting issues with a virtual machine on an ESX host

To verify and correct a problem with a virtual machine on the ESX host: 

1. Log on to the ESX host service console with root privileges.
2. View the vpxa.log file. Run the command:
   
   more /var/log/vmware/vpx/vpxa.log
   Examine the log for messages for warnings similar to:
   
   [2008-06-16 12:37:59.350 'App' warning] ============BEGIN FAILED METHOD CALL DUMP============
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] Invoking [GetLayout] on [vim.VirtualMachine:336]
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] Fault Msg: "A general system error occured: Failed to serialize result"
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] ============END FAILED METHOD CALL DUMP============
   [ + 1 msc 'App' error] [vm.GetLayout] Received exception in GetLayout: vmodl.fault.SystemError  
   
   The example shows the source of the problem is the error Failed to serialize result.
   
3. View the hostd.log file. Run the command:
   
   more /var/log/vmware/hostd.log
   
   The output appears similar to:
   
   [2008-06-16 09:44:12.052 'vm:Win2000.vmx' verbose] Retrieved current power state from foundry 0
   [ + 1 msc 'vm:Win2000.vmx' verbose] Retrieved Summary info
   [ + 29 msc 'vm:Win2000.vmx' error] Disk was not opened successfully. Backing type unknown.
   [ + 31 msc 'App' warning] Failed to serialize result of method vim.VirtualMachine.GetLayout: Not initialized: vim.vm.FileLayout.DiskLayout[] disk.diskFile
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Activation [N5Vmomi10ActivationE:0xacfe360] : Invoke done [GetLayout] on [vim.VirtualMachine:336]
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Throw vmodl.fault.SystemError
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Result:
   (vmodl.fault.SystemError) {
   reason = "Failed to serialize result"
   msg = ""
   }Search for Failed to serialize result errors. This example shows that a virtual machine file Win2000.vmx is experiencing problems.
    
4. Determine the full path to the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd -l
   For example:
   
   # vmware-cmd -l
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/AD-SVR-PRM/Win2000-1.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/IIS-XPR/Win-2003.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmxIn this example, the last line of output lists the full pathname to the problematic virtual machine.
    
5. Unregister the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd -s unregister /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmxNote: This does not apply any power operations to the virtual machine. The virtual machine continues to run unaffected. You cannot, however, manage the virtual machine from VI Client until you re-register it.
     
6. Restart the ESX management agents. For more information, see Restarting the Management agents on an ESX Server (1003490).
7. Add the ESX host to the VirtualCenter Server.
8. Re-register the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd -s register /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmx

Verifying and correcting issues with a virtual machine on an ESXi host

To verify and correct a problem with a virtual machine on the ESXi host, follow these steps: 

Note: The following steps require the vSphere CLI or the VMware RCLI. For more information, see vSphere Command-Line Interface.

1. Open a browser, and go to:
   
   http://<hostname>/host/
   
   where <hostname> is the name of the ESXi host
    
2. Enter the appropriate credentials.
3. Click on the vpxa.log link, and search for Failed to serialize result errors:
   [2008-06-16 12:37:59.350 'App' warning] ============BEGIN FAILED METHOD CALL DUMP============
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] Invoking [GetLayout] on [vim.VirtualMachine:336]
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] Fault Msg: "A general system error occured: Failed to serialize result"
   [ + 0 msc 'App' warning] ============END FAILED METHOD CALL DUMP============
   [ + 1 msc 'App' error] [vm.GetLayout] Received exception in GetLayout: vmodl.fault.SystemError
    
4. Click on the hostd.log link, and search for Failed to serialize result errors:
   [2008-06-16 09:44:12.052 'vm:Win2000.vmx' verbose] Retrieved current power state from foundry 0
   [ + 1 msc 'vm:Win2000.vmx' verbose] Retrieved Summary info
   [ + 29 msc 'vm:Win2000.vmx' error] Disk was not opened successfully. Backing type unknown.
   [ + 31 msc 'App' warning] Failed to serialize result of method vim.VirtualMachine.GetLayout: Not initialized: vim.vm.FileLayout.DiskLayout[] disk.diskFile
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Activation [N5Vmomi10ActivationE:0xacfe360] : Invoke done [GetLayout] on [vim.VirtualMachine:336]
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Throw vmodl.fault.SystemError
   [ + 31 msc 'Vmomi' info] Result:
   (vmodl.fault.SystemError) {
   reason = "Failed to serialize result"
   msg = ""
   }
   Make note of the virtual machine referenced in the hostd.log file. This example above shows a virtual machine file Win2000.vmx is experiencing problems.
    
5. Using the vSphere command line interface, run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd <connection options> -l
   
   The output appears similar to:
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/AD-SVR-PRM/Win2000-1.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/IIS-XPR/Win-2003.vmx
   /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmxIn this example, the last line of output lists the full pathname to the problematic virtual machine as identified in the example in step 4.
     
6. Unregister the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd.pl <connection options> -s unregister /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmxNote: This does not apply any power operations to the virtual machine. The virtual machine continues to run unaffected. You cannot, however, manage the virtual machine from VI Client until you re-register it.
     
7. Restart the ESXi management agents. For more information, see Restarting the Management agents on an ESX or ESXi Server (1003490).
8. Add the ESXi host to the VirtualCenter Server.
9. Re-register the virtual machine. Run the command:
   
   vmware-cmd.pl <connection options> -s register /vmfs/volumes/47a0abbf-48b83cd4-3517-001a5311f31b/ajax-test/Win2000.vmx 

For additional information or if the issue persists, see Not enough licenses installed (1005265) or Cannot connect ESX server to VirtualCenter (1005562). (Source kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003623)