getting error when adding ucs host into vmfex dvswitch

[Dragomir]

I am getting and error hen trying to add a ucs hot into a vmfex dvsitch

vDS operation failed on host xxxxx, An error occurred during host configuration. got (vim.fault.PlatformConfigFault) exception

any idea why? Its trying to installing the vem via update manager. update manager is running fine anf the plugin is registeres in vc

[alhaider]

Tony,

Please try installing the VEM using command line. VUM often tried to push a VEM version which is not fully compaitable with the ESXi version. Please find the correct version of VM-FEX module using the UCS Manager Interoperability matrix tool at

http://www.cisco.com/web/techdoc/ucs/interoperability/matrix/matrix.html

You can download the the correct VEM module by downloading the Driver DVD for the server

For installing through ESXi CLI, you can put the host in maintenance mode and then use the coomad

esxcli software vib install -v pathtofile

For example

esxcli software vib install -v /cross_cisco-vem-v132-4.2.1.1.4.1.0-3.0.4.vib

Please reference step 3 for VEM installing instructions

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computing/ucs/sw/vm_fex/vmware/gui/config_guide/b_GUI_VMware_VM-FEX_UCSM_Configuration_Guide_chapter_011.html#task_41623E5297354C838917E96D7809F3A4

[Mate Grbavac]

Hi,

I have the same problem.

UCS version is 2.1(3b), ESXi is 5.5.0 build 1331820 and VIB is cisco-vem-v161-5.5-1.2.7.1.vib.

I installed VIB manually.

UCS is connected to vCenter (UCS dVS is presented in VmWare inventory).

Any help?

This is screen shot of error

[midcon-tulsa]

I am having this same problem.  Been working for days to figure it out.  Have you had any success in getting around this error?

[Marko Pribanic]

Hi,

Did you ever get this issue resolved I am having the same problem.

UCS 2.2(1c), VIC 1280, VIB is cisco-vem-v161-5.5-1.2.7.1.vib, ESXi 5.5.0 Build 1618071

Error output: 

vDS operation failed on host 192.168.141.41, Received SOAP response fault from [<cs p:00007f2cc470bf30, TCP:192.168.141.41:443>]: invokeHostTransactionCall
Received SOAP response fault from [<cs p:1f3c3510, TCP:localhost:8307>]: invokeHostTransactionCall
An error occurred during host configuration. got (vim.fault.PlatformConfigFault) exception

[midcon-tulsa]

I FIXED IT.

For some reason, VUM was not applying the VM-FEX driver to the hosts.

I tested with both AUTODEPLOY and local install hosts.

If you are autodeploying hosts, you need to build a custom deploy image that includes the vm-fex image.

If you are not autodeploying hosts, install it manually via SSH and WinSCP.

Basically the error is saying that it can't talk to the VM-FEX install on the host.

[Marko Pribanic]

Hello midcon,

I have already done that, i have installed vib file manually:

~ # esxcli software vib list | grep cisco-vem
cisco-vem-v161-esx             5.5-1.2.7.1                           Cisco   PartnerSupported  2014-05-05  
~ # vem status
ž 
VEM modules are loaded
 
Switch Name      Num Ports   Used Ports  Configured Ports  MTU     Uplinks   
vSwitch0         5632        4           128               1500    vmnic0    
 
VEM Agent (vemdpa) is running

The error that I get is when I try to add the host do DVS (VM-FEX)

[Marko Pribanic]

Hello,

I think that this will not work for me because I have VCSA:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2004079

Basically, VM-FEX will not work with vCenter Server Appliance:

"UCS Manager with VM-FEX does not support the vCenter Server Appliance in any available release"

[franciscojosemanso]

I have the same issue:

UCS 2.2(1b), VIC 1280, VIB is cisco-vem-v161-5.5-1.2.7.1.vib, ESXi 5.5.0 Build 1746018 ( Cisco 5.5.1.3 version)

I found the following on the ESXi:

/var/log # vem status -v
Package vssnet-esxesx2013-release
Version 5.5-1.2.7.1
Build 1
Date Mon Aug 5 15:32:54 PDT 2013

Number of PassThru NICs are 0
Module vem-v161-l2device is not loaded; please run vssnet load

/var/log # vem restart
stopDpa
startDpa
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
CPU resource file is already there - old reservation 50
MEM resource file is already there - old reservation 51200
 

And the most interesting:

/var/log # cat vemdpa.log
Failed aipc init
10585: Cisco VSS DPA Version 5.5-1.2.7.1
Jul  1 19:18:36.310771: AIPC interface control0
Jul  1 19:18:36.310838: Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Jul  1 19:18:36.310865: VEM Kernel and Agent Version Mismatch
Jul  1 19:18:36.310883: Kernel version:
Jul  1 19:18:36.310898:  Agent version: 5.5-1.2.7.1
Jul  1 19:18:36.310988: aipc_init: AIPC Domain ID set to 0
Jul  1 19:18:36.311517: Error with DPA init, exiting
 

so the VEM kernel and Agent versions are not compatible???

[Walter Dey]

Number of PassThru NICs are 0

Did you confgure dynamic vnics in your service profile ? I assume this means you only have static ones, which esxi kernel sees !

[Mate Grbavac]

Same thing with version VMware ESXi 5.5.0 GA

~ # vmware -vl
VMware ESXi 5.5.0 build-1331820
VMware ESXi 5.5.0 GA
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # vem status -v
Package vssnet-esxesx2013-release
Version 5.5-1.2.7.1
Build 1
Date Mon Aug 5 15:32:54 PDT 2013
 
Number of PassThru NICs are 0
Module vem-v161-l2device is not loaded; please run vssnet load
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # vem restart
stopDpa
startDpa
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
CPU resource file is already there - old reservation 50
MEM resource file is already there - old reservation 51200
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # 
~ # cat /var/log/vemdpa.log
Failed aipc init
27624: Cisco VSS DPA Version 5.5-1.2.7.1
Aug  6 13:53:38.627916: AIPC interface control0
Aug  6 13:53:38.628049: Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Aug  6 13:53:38.628109: VEM Kernel and Agent Version Mismatch
Aug  6 13:53:38.628137: Kernel version: 
Aug  6 13:53:38.628163:  Agent version: 5.5-1.2.7.1
Aug  6 13:53:38.628302: aipc_init: AIPC Domain ID set to 0
Aug  6 13:53:38.629099: Error with DPA init, exiting
~ # 

[slcalhoon]

I spent a couple days on this problem.

The first issue was that VUM was patching VEM 161(VM-FEX) with VEM 164(1000v).

The second issue is that VEM 161 is not compatible with ESXi 5.5 Update 1, it is only compatible with ESXi 5.5 GA.

I have a TAC open in hopes of getting a BETA VEM that supports ESXi 5.5 Update 1. If this fails, I will have to reinstall all of my ESXi hosts and reintegrate them back in to the environment; a big PITA. El Capitan Maintenance Release 2 is around the corner (Sept.) and I am assuming 5.5 Update 1 will be supported.

Good Luck. Open a TAC case and hope for a BETA driver or rebuild your ESXi hosts to 5.5 GA. This link shows VM-FEX compatibility:

http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/interoperability/matrix/r_hcl_B_rel2-22.pdf

[vannisyu1]

I had this issue and opened a Cisco case to resolve it.

My environment is ESXi 5.5 update 1 and cisco-vem-v161-esx  5.5-1.2.7.1;  My hardware is UCS B200 M3 with Cisco 1240 VIC.

Before opening the case, my symptom is exactly as franciscojosemanso, 

/var/log # vem restart
stopDpa
startDpa
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()
Error initializing sf_dpa_api_init()

The solution is :

You need to define the dynamic vnic under the service profile's vNICs for ESXi.  Define dynamic vnic under a normal vNIC only work for Hyper-V.

So, set the Dynamic vNIC Connection policy directly under "vNICs" tab rather than under a specific vNIC.

After doing so,  the vem command should show information like this

VEM modules are loaded

Switch Name      Num Ports   Used Ports  Configured Ports  MTU     Uplinks
vSwitch0         5632        6           128               1500    vmnic0,vmnic1
vSwitch1         5632        4           128               1500    vmnic4
vSwitch2         5632        8           128               1500    vmnic2,vmnic3
vSwitch3         5632        5           128               1500    vmnic5,vmnic6
vmservice-vswitch  5632        2           16                1500
DVS Name         Num Ports   Used Ports  Configured Ports  MTU     Uplinks
VM-FEX-DVS       256         10          256               1500    vmnic8,vmnic7

VEM Agent (vemdpa) is running

[franciscojosemanso]

Thank you , your fix works for me.

But the documentation is kind of misleading, as indeed I have added the dynamic ports to the vNIC