2020.05.5 – Problem and Solution with Adding ESXi host in vSphere Client

I have a problem with Adding ESXi host into vSphere Client. 

Cannot contact the specified host (esxi00.silvique.ro). The host may not be available on the network, a network configuration problem may exist, or the management services on this host may not be responding.
  • I need to put ESXi into vSpare to install a new VM as I do not find solution of installation into ESXi. But if I insert esxi00 into vSphere using the IP, I can not install VM. So I want to insert esxi00.silvique.ro base on its name to try to install Junos Spare.
    • I thought it is fw problem, so I install it into esxi00 and powered on.

  • What can I do to insert esxi00.silvique.ro into vShere?

Ideas and solution

1. Check to see if you can ping the hostname from the vCenter appliance.

vCenter and ESXi from MacBook

murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ping 10.1.1.101
PING 10.1.1.101 (10.1.1.101): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.336 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.598 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.496 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.217 ms
^C
--- 10.1.1.101 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.217/0.412/0.598/0.146 ms

murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ping vc01      
PING vc01.silvique.ro (10.1.1.101): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.403 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.623 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.456 ms
^C
--- vc01.silvique.ro ping statistics ---
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.403/0.494/0.623/0.094 ms

murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ping vc01.silvique.ro
PING vc01.silvique.ro (10.1.1.101): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.355 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.101: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.881 ms
^C
--- vc01.silvique.ro ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.355/0.618/0.881/0.263 ms

murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ping 10.1.1.10       
PING 10.1.1.10 (10.1.1.10): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.517 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.389 ms
^C
--- 10.1.1.10 ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.389/0.453/0.517/0.064 m
s
murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ping esxi00   
PING esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.315 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.513 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.325 ms
^C
--- esxi00.silvique.ro ping statistics ---
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.315/0.384/0.513/0.091 ms

murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ping esxi00.silvique.ro
PING esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.385 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.709 ms
^C
--- esxi00.silvique.ro ping statistics ---
2 packets transmitted, 2 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.385/0.547/0.709/0.162 ms

ESXi00 from vCenter

murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ssh root@vc01.silvique.ro
…..

Command> ping 10.1.1.10
PING 10.1.1.10 (10.1.1.10) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=1.01 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=1.11 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=1.29 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.978 ms
^C
--- 10.1.1.10 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3005ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.978/1.101/1.299/0.124 ms
 
Command> ping esxi00
ping: unknown host esxi00


Command> ping esxi00.silvique.ro
ping: unknown host esxi00.silvique.ro

2. If you cant you can either edit the host file on the vcenter machine

2.1. SSH’d into the vCenter using Terminal

Last login: Tue May  5 07:19:26 on ttys006
murgescusilvia@Murgescus-MacBook-Pro ~ % ssh root@vc01.silvique.ro

Command> ls /etc/
Unknown command: `ls'
Command> cd etc
Unknown command: `cd'

Command> shell
Shell access is granted to root

root@10 [ ~ ]# 

2.2. Navigated to the host files directory

  • cd /
  • cd etc
  • ls (this list everything in the directory)
root@10 [ ~ ]# cd ..
root@10 [ ~ ]# cd /etc

2.3. Used vim to edit the file:

  • vim hosts
root@10 [ /etc ]# vim hosts

2.4. Added the name and the IP that I wanted to be tied together.

  • xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx name.domain name
# Begin /etc/hosts (network card version)


127.0.0.1   localhost.localdomain
127.0.0.1       localhost
10.1.1.101 10.1.1.101 10
10.1.1.10  esxi00.silvique.ro  esxi00
# End /etc/hosts (network card version)

2.5. Exited vi (vi automatically saves the file when you leave unless specified to not save when you leave.)

  • To exit and save type                ESC + : x or ESC + : wq
  • To exit without saving type        Esc + : q!
Esc 
:wq

2.6. Now test it using the Ping command.

  • ping name
Command> ping 10.1.1.10
PING 10.1.1.10 (10.1.1.10) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.687 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.512 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=1.03 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.883 ms
^C
--- 10.1.1.10 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3002ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.512/0.780/1.039/0.199 ms

Command> ping esxi00.silvique.ro
ping: unknown host esxi00.silvique.ro
Command> ping 10.1.1.10
PING 10.1.1.10 (10.1.1.10) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.663 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=1.03 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.790 ms
64 bytes from 10.1.1.10: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=0.719 ms
^C
--- 10.1.1.10 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3004ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.663/0.802/1.038/0.145 ms
Command> ping esxi00.silvique.ro
PING esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.385 ms
64 bytes from esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10): icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.539 ms
64 bytes from esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10): icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.668 ms
^C
--- esxi00.silvique.ro ping statistics ---
3 packets transmitted, 3 received, 0% packet loss, time 2000ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.385/0.530/0.668/0.118 ms

Command> ping esxi00
PING esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.388 ms
64 bytes from esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10): icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.581 ms
64 bytes from esxi00.silvique.ro (10.1.1.10): icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.599 ms
^C
--- esxi00.silvique.ro ping statistics ---
3 packets transmitted, 3 received, 0% packet loss, time 1998ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.388/0.522/0.599/0.099 ms

Solution photos

An other idea: Or add the host to the dnsresolver on the pfsense firewall. When using the firewall, the vcenter machine needs to have the IP of the firewall as it’s gateway and dns server. 

It seems I don’t this idea now …