PowerFlex 4.x Add Existing RG fails with error "Cluster component for VCENTER does not have a successful server to build with"

Summary: Adding an existing Resource Group (RG) in PowerFlex Manager fails and reports that the RG is in a critical state.

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Symptoms

  • Add Existing RG fails 
  • RG shows Critical state
  • Associated Resource status shows "Deployment Failed" under the Resources tab
  • The PowerFlex Gateway (GW) resource may be in the "Unreachable" state
  • Error reported in deployment log states "Cluster component for VCENTER_FQDN does not have a successful server to build with"
  • Deployment logs report a blank target IP when util.rb attempts to run the esxcli command
    • Example: Executing esxcli 600 env VI_PASSWORD=****** esxcli -s  -u root

 

 

deployment.log 
DEBUG [2025-05-19T20:00:08.463271] 222264: type/base.rb:167:in `db_status': deployment status for certname: rackserver-####### component: 0df74c6b-9923-4142-8833-98ac9eabd4f4 deployment: 2caa81fa9668b3f20196b2fbccd555f9 is '{:deployment_status=>"pending"}'
INFO  [2025-05-19T20:00:08.463688] 222264: type/server.rb:3600:in `block in esxi_ready?': rackserver-#######: Checking if ESXi is ready
 
****
DEBUG [2025-05-19T20:00:08.464034] 222264: util.rb:190:in `esxcli': rackserver-#######: Executing esxcli 600 env VI_PASSWORD=****** esxcli -s  -u root
****
 
INFO  [2025-05-19T20:00:08.464531] 222264: service_deployment.rb:1531:in `block in create_component_thread': Status: Failed_component_server/rackserver-#######
DEBUG [2025-05-19T20:00:08.489312] 221708: service_deployment.rb:320:in `is_volume_scale_up?': No storage components in current deployment.
INFO  [2025-05-19T20:00:08.504164] 221708: service_deployment.rb:1338:in `block in process_components': Finished post-processing for components of type SERVER
INFO  [2025-05-19T20:00:08.529030] 221708: service_deployment.rb:1267:in `block in process_components': Processing components of type CLUSTER_POST_OPS
DEBUG [2025-05-19T20:00:08.554874] 221708: service_deployment.rb:320:in `is_volume_scale_up?': No storage components in current deployment.
INFO  [2025-05-19T20:00:08.555466] 222872: service_deployment.rb:1457:in `block in create_component_thread': Processing component VCENTER_FQDN
INFO  [2025-05-19T20:00:08.565962] 222872: service_deployment.rb:3840:in `process_cluster_post_ops': Processing cluster component: VCENTER_FQDN
INFO  [2025-05-19T20:00:08.566381] 222872: service_deployment.rb:1531:in `block in create_component_thread': Status: Failed_component_cluster_post_ops/VCENTER_FQDN
DEBUG [2025-05-19T20:00:08.595147] 221708: service_deployment.rb:320:in `is_volume_scale_up?': No storage components in current deployment.
INFO  [2025-05-19T20:00:08.595637] 221708: service_deployment.rb:1351:in `block in process_components': VXFM011::An error occurred during the processing of cluster_post_ops components.
ERROR [2025-05-19T20:00:08.622036] 221708: service_deployment.rb:653:in `process': Cluster component for vcenter-VCENTER_FQDN does not have a successful server to build with
 
Rackserver-#######_exception.log: 
#<TypeError: no implicit conversion of nil into String>

 

Impact

Resource Group fails to be added.

Cause

A time skew greater than 30 s exists between Manager MDMs and the PowerFlex Manager Management VMs (MVMs).

Resolution

Investigate and address the time skew issue on the affected servers. Review chronyd service status and verify health/connectivity to designated NTP servers.

After ensuring time is synchronized between MDM/MVMs, a restart of the gateway pod may be required.

 

Example troubleshooting:

  • "chronyc tracking" - This command checks the overall synchronization status of the system. A leap status of "Normal" means that the system clock is synchronized and there are no issues with the timekeeping.
chronyc tracking
Reference ID    : 0E0E0E12 ( 30.30.30.2)
Stratum         : 11
Ref time (UTC)  : Mon Aug 12 20:41:25 2024
System time     : 0.000000200 seconds slow of NTP time
Last offset     : -0.000001402 seconds
RMS offset      : 0.000014281 seconds
Frequency       : 86.862 ppm slow
Residual freq   : -0.000 ppm
Skew            : 0.026 ppm
Root delay      : 0.000198145 seconds
Root dispersion : 0.000033342 seconds
Update interval : 64.4 seconds
Leap status     : Normal

 

  • "chronyc sources -v" - This command provides details about the NTP servers being used and their status. Having the ^ symbol confirms that the system is using an external NTP server for time synchronization
chronyc sources -v
  
  .-- Source mode  '^' = server, '=' = peer, '#' = local clock.
 / .- Source state '*' = current best, '+' = combined, '-' = not combined,
| /             'x' = may be in error, '~' = too variable, '?' = unusable.
||                                                 .- xxxx [ yyyy ] +/- zzzz
||      Reachability register (octal) -.           |  xxxx = adjusted offset,
||      Log2(Polling interval) --.      |          |  yyyy = measured offset,
||                                \     |          |  zzzz = estimated error.
||                                 |    |           \
MS Name/IP address         Stratum Poll Reach LastRx Last sample
===============================================================================
^*  30.30.30.2                  10   6   377    33  -2137ns[-3539ns] +/-  103us

 

Impacted Versions

PowerFlex Manager 4.x

 

Article Properties
Article Number: 000325442
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 29 May 2025
Version:  2
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