VxRail: Platform Service Fails to Initialize

Summary: VxRail platform service appears active but cannot initialize because the vpxuser account lacks shell access, resulting in permission errors in platform_svc.log and hostd.log.

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Symptoms

The platform service reports that it is running but fails to initialize.

platform_svc.log

vxpsvc_ptagent_op -p ******************************** -c ********************************" failed with:
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11)[+] platform_svc:
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11)[+] platform_svc: OUT:
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11)[+] platform_svc: b''ERR:
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11)[+] platform_svc: b'Errors: 
 Access to perform the operation was denied.
 Only users with shell access can make these changes.'
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR - Esxcli command excution error
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -   Traceback (most recent call last):
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -     File "/opt/vxrail/bin/platforms/dell/plugin/misc.py", line 52, in set_up_temporary_account
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -       esxcli('system account set --id {0} -p {1} -c {1}'.format(self.username, self.password), sensitive=self.password)
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -     File "/opt/vxrail/bin/utility/host.py", line 88, in __call__
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -       return self.execute(cmdstr, sensitive)
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -     File "/opt/vxrail/bin/utility/host.py", line 83, in execute
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -       result = run_command('localcli --formatter=python ' + cmdstr,
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -     File "/opt/vxrail/bin/utility/__init__.py", line 162, in run_command
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -       raise CalledProcessError(proc.returncode, cmd_id or cmdstr, err)
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -   utility.CalledProcessError: ESXi command failed with 1
2024-12-10T03:42:04Z Wa(12) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] WARNING - sleep 5s to retry!
2024-12-10T03:42:10Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR - Command "localcli --formatter=python system account set --id vxpsvc_ptagent_op -p ******************************** -c ********************************" failed with:
2024-12-10T03:42:10Z Er(11)[+] platform_svc:
2024-12-10T03:42:10Z Er(11)[+] platform_svc: OUT:
2024-12-10T03:42:10Z Er(11)[+] platform_svc: b''ERR:
2024-12-10T03:42:10Z Er(11)[+] platform_svc: b'Errors: 
 Access to perform the operation was denied.
 Only users with shell access can make these changes.'
2024-12-10T03:42:10Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR - Esxcli command excution error
2024-12-10T03:42:10Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -   Traceback (most recent call last):
2024-12-10T03:42:10Z Er(11) platform_svc: [ThreadPoolExecutor-0_0] ERROR -     File "/opt/vxrail/bin/platforms/dell/plugin/misc.py", line 52, in set_up_temporary_account

hostd.log

2024-12-10T05:41:21.057Z Er(163) Hostd[2242456]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.HaUserManager opID=esxcli-system.account.set-9e-4310 sid=52eadfba user=vpxuser] Caller must have shell access
2024-12-10T05:41:27.080Z Er(163) Hostd[2242449]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.HaUserManager opID=esxcli-system.account.set-92-4339 sid=52bc5aec user=vpxuser] Caller must have shell access
2024-12-10T05:41:33.157Z Er(163) Hostd[2242453]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.HaUserManager opID=esxcli-system.account.set-8f-4368 sid=5287fa7d user=vpxuser] Caller must have shell access
2024-12-10T05:41:39.180Z Er(163) Hostd[2241613]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.HaUserManager opID=esxcli-system.account.set-d5-43b1 sid=5281ac0e user=vpxuser] Caller must have shell access
2024-12-10T05:41:45.234Z Er(163) Hostd[2242420]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.HaUserManager opID=esxcli-system.account.set-3d-43ee sid=52976516 user=vpxuser] Caller must have shell access
2024-12-10T05:41:51.322Z Er(163) Hostd[2242445]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.HaUserManager opID=esxcli-system.account.set-5c-442a sid=5248beba user=vpxuser] Caller must have shell access
2024-12-10T05:42:00.152Z Er(163) Hostd[2242458]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.HaUserManager opID=esxcli-system.account.set-ef-446f sid=524c1434 user=vpxuser] Caller must have shell access
2024-12-10T05:42:06.185Z Er(163) Hostd[2241696]: [Originator@6876 sub=Vimsvc.HaUserManager opID=esxcli-system.account.set-fa-44ae sid=5229aaf9 user=vpxuser] Caller must have shell access

Cause

The platform service attempts to create a temporary account (vxpsvc_ptagent_op) using the esxcli system account set command. The target account vpxuser does not have shell access, causing the command to be rejected.

Evidence

  • Log entries show Caller must have shell access errors.
  • Platform service logs contain “Access to perform the operation was denied. Only users with shell access can make these changes.”

Running esxcli system account list confirms that vpxuser has shell access set to false.

Screenshot of user account list and permissions

Resolution

Enable shell access for the vpxuser account:

  1. Run the following command on the ESXi host:
  2. esxcli system account set -i vpxuser -s true
  3. Verify that the account now has shell access:

  4. esxcli system account list


    Screenshot of account after fix

Affected Products

VxRail, VxRail Appliance Series, VxRail G Series Nodes, VxRail D Series Nodes, VxRail D560, VxRail D560F, VxRail E Series Nodes, VxRail E460, VxRail E560, VxRail E560F, VxRail E560N, VxRail E660, VxRail E660F, VxRail E660N, VxRail E665, VxRail E665F , VxRail E665N, VxRail G560, VxRail G560F, VxRail P Series Nodes, VxRail P470, VxRail P570, VxRail P570F, VxRail P580N, VxRail P670F, VxRail P670N, VxRail P675F, VxRail P675N, VxRail S Series Nodes, VxRail S470, VxRail S570, VxRail S670, VxRail Software, VxRail V Series Nodes, VxRail V470, VxRail V570, VxRail V570F, VXRAIL V670F, VxRail VD-4510C, VxRail VD-4520C, VxRail VD Series Nodes, VxRail VE-660, VxRail VE-6615, VxRail VE-670, VxRail VP-760, VxRail VP-7625, VxRail VP-770, VxRail VS-760 ...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000258607
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 20 Jul 2026
Version:  2
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