6.5

11 Restart this server. As the server restarts, it connects to the passive server and starts replication. The active
server overwrites data on the passive server.
12 Start vCenter Server Heartbeat, if required, and check that the Task bar icon now reects the changes by
showing P / A (Primary and active) or S / A (Secondary and active).
13 Start vCenter Server Heartbeat Console.
14 Check that the servers have connected and replication has started.
Two Passive Servers
Primary and Secondary servers are both passive at the same time. This situation is prevents clients from
accessing protected applications and should be resolved immediately.
Problem
You are unable to connect to protected applications, and if you congured alerts, you receive notication that
replication is not functioning properly.
Cause
The condition of two passive servers results from a sudden failure on the active server. Examples:
■
An unexpected termination of the VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat service
■
A transient power failure
■
A server reset triggered from the Power or Reset button
■
An unclean shutdown. Following an unclean shutdown, an active server assumes the passive role to isolate
itself from the network until the failure is investigated
■
The active server fails before the handshake that establishes the VMware Channel connection. The passive
server cannot detect that the active server is not responding when the failure occurs and cannot determine
the condition of the active server. The active server suers a transient failure and the passive server cannot
respond by failing over into the active role, leaving both servers in the passive role
■
Both Primary and Secondary servers experience a power outage simultaneously, for example, they use
the same power source and neither is attached to a UPS. A failover cannot occur and when the servers are
restarted, each displays the following error message:
Cannot start replication because previous run did not shutdown properly. Check configuration.
Note If you attempt to start vCenter Server Heartbeat without reconguring one server in the pair as active,
vCenter Server Heartbeat responds with the following warning:
[U16] Serious configuration mismatch between the two servers. Please reconfigure so there is one
and only one Primary, and one and only one Active.
Solution
Two passive servers prevent users from accessing the protected application and should be resolved immediately.
1 Determine the active server.
2 Shut down vCenter Server Heartbeat on both servers. Leave any protected applications running on the
server to make active.
3 On the server to make active, start the Server Conguration wizard, and select the active role. Do not change
the identity (Primary or Secondary).
VMware, Inc. 85
Chapter 10 Troubleshooting