PowerProtect Data Manager: PowerProtect pod deployment fails with errors "failed to resolve reference" and "x509:

Summary: PowerProtect Data Manager: PowerProtect pod deployment fails with errors "failed to resolve reference" and "x509: Certificate signed by unknown authority" when local registry is used PowerProtect controller pod deployment fails due to failure to pull container images from local registry. ...

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Symptoms

PowerProtect pod deployment after discovery may fail when local registry is used to host container images. On checking pod deployment status, error messages similar to the following can be found:

Events:

  Type     Reason   Age                From     Message
  ----     ------   ----               ----     -------
  Normal   Pulling  27s (x3 over 63s)  kubelet  Pulling image "customresgistry.yourcompany.com:443/dellemc/powerprotect-k8s-controller:19.12.0-19"
  Warning  Failed   27s (x3 over 63s)  kubelet  Failed to pull image "customresgistry.yourcompany.com:443/dellemc/powerprotect-k8s-controller:19.12.0-19": rpc error: code = Unknown desc = failed to pull and unpack image "customresgistry.yourcompany.com:443/dellemc/powerprotect-k8s-controller:19.12.0-19": failed to resolve reference "customresgistry.yourcompany.com:443/dellemc/powerprotect-k8s-controller:19.12.0-19": failed to do request: Head "https://customresgistry.yourcompany.com:443/dellemc/powerprotect-k8s-controller/manifests/19.12.0-19__;" x509: certificate signed by unknown authority
  Warning  Failed   27s (x3 over 63s)  kubelet  Error: ErrImagePull
  Normal   BackOff  1s (x4 over 62s)   kubelet  Back-off pulling image "customresgistry.yourcompany.com:443/dellemc/powerprotect-k8s-controller:19.12.0-19"
  Warning  Failed   1s (x4 over 62s)   kubelet  Error: ImagePullBackOffcontroller/manifests/19.12.0-19__;" x509: certificate signed by unknown authority Warning Failed 27s (x3 over 63s) kubelet Error: ErrImagePull Normal BackOff 1s (x4 over 62s) kubelet Back-off pulling image "customresgistry.yourcompany.com:443/dellemc/powerprotect-k8s-controller:19.12.0-19" Warning Failed 1s (x4 over 62s) kubelet Error: ImagePullBackOff

Cause

Images are not available under the path where PowerProtect Data Manager (PPDM) is looking for them.

Resolution

When the

k8s.docker.registry

Parameter is used to point to local registry for images, the path to the host images must match the path that was present on.

https://hub.docker.com/registry

For example, for 

dellemc/powerprotect-k8s-controller

Locally on the registry project name should be.

dellemc

And repository name would be. 

powerprotect-k8s-controller


Similarly, all paths mentioned within "Pulling images from Docker Hub to a local registry" section of the "PowerProtect Data Manager Kubernetes User Guide" must match. 

Request for enhancement (RFE) "PPAS-I-767" is submitted with product management to allow custom paths for local registry. If your site wants to be associated with this RFE, open a service request, and have your support representative attach your site to the enhancement request. 

Affected Products

PowerProtect Data Manager, PowerProtect Data Manager Essentials
Article Properties
Article Number: 000214992
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 28 Aug 2025
Version:  5
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