IDPA: vCenter Server (vCSA) fails to boot during deployment | DP4400

Summary: The vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) fails to boot during deployment from the Appliance Configuration Manager (ACM).

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Symptoms

Affected Products:

  • PowerProtect DP4400

Symptoms:

  • Affects DP4400 version 2.2 only
  • Deployment stops responding or fails shortly after reporting successful deployment of vCSA and DDVE virtual machines
  • ACM UI reports:
  • vCenter server deployed successfully. Waiting for services on vCenter server. FAILED.
    ACM server.log shows:
    
    
    
    vCenter is not up in 20 MINs. Stopping the configuration.
ApplianceException occurred while executing DeployAndConfigVcsaTask.
    
    
    vCSA console displays:
    • 
  

  
Error: Failed to start services. Firstboot Error.

        
Cause

        
The ACM was configured using short hostnames instead of Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs).
vCSA fails to start services when the system name is not valid, as seen in:

  
/var/log/firstboot/visl-support-firstboot.py_<timestamp>_stderr.log

  
kA2f1000000KAK0CAO_1_0
Additional contributing factor:
Duplicate IP addresses on the network can also prevent vCSA from starting.

  

  

        
Resolution

        
To resolve the issue:

  
    
   
  1. Use FQDNs for all IDPA system hostnames during ACM configuration
    2. 
   
  2. Ensure that valid DNS entries exist for all hostnames and IP addresses
    3. 
   
  3. Before starting deployment:
    
      
     
    • Check for duplicate IPs on the local network
      • 
     
    • Validate forward and reverse DNS lookups using nslookup
      • 
    
    4. 
  

  
If the issue persists, contact Dell EMC Technical Support for further assistance.

  





    


                    
Additional Information

        




    




        

        
        
Affected Products

        Integrated Data Protection Appliance Family
    
Products

        PowerProtect DP4400, PowerProtect Data Protection Software, Integrated Data Protection Appliance Family, PowerProtect Data Protection Hardware, Integrated Data Protection Appliance Software







                        

                            

    

        

            

                
                    
 Article Properties

                
            

            

                

                        
Article Number: 000033313

                

                
                

                        
Article Type: Solution

                

                

                        
Last Modified: 03 Oct 2025


                

                    

                            
Version:  4

                    


            


        

    

    

        

            

                
                    
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