Unable to install powerchute plugin for VCSA appliance

[Anonymous user]

I have just set up a PowerChute appliance in our VMware environment and despite having the 'PowerChute vSphere Web client plug-in' check box ticked on the 'communications settings' menu of the PowerChute appliance I am not seeing anything appear in the 'Plug-ins for Installation' section of the vSphere Web client. 

I've tried restarting our vCenter appliance, but this has had no effect.  The PowerChute appliance can see the hosts without any issue.

Is there an obvious trick I'm missing?

[BillP]

Hi,

What version of vCenter Server are you running? 

[Anonymous user]

Thanks for the swift response Bill,

We're running 6.5.0.5500

[BillP]

Hi,

I have a few more questions,

1 - Did you have an earlier version of the Plugin enable in that VCSA?

2 - When you review the pcnsconfig.ini file that will be found in the PowerChute install directory / folder what is listed for enable_plugin = ?

[Anonymous user]

Bill

We have only just installed our UPS so there's not been any previous version of the plugin in VCSA

enable_plugin= true

Our VCSA appliance is not connected to the Internet (it's a standalone system) - could this be the issue?

[BillP]

Hi,

On 10/11/2017 8:54 AM, Dan said:

Our VCSA appliance is not connected to the Internet (it's a standalone system) - could this be the issue?

Not being connected to the Internet should not be an issue.

Would you look in https://vcsa ip address/mob/?moid=ExtensionManager and under properties you will see extensionList. Is the PCNS extension listed? Also, if you look in the error.log file in the PCNS directory / folder do you see any errors concerning the plugin? 

A few things that could cause the plugin to not register are

1 - If VCSA has the same IP as another system

2 - If VCSA is using the same domain name as another system Example LocalHost. 

[Anonymous user]

Bill

The PCNS extension is listed in the extension manager - and the error log has nothing relating to plugins

VCSA has it's own IP that we haven't used on any other systems locally & it's domain is not localhost

Cheers

Dan

[BillP]

Dan,

Please remove the current plugin and then re-register it after restarting the vSphere web client.

To delete the plugin

1. Use SSH to connect to vCenter Server and login using root credentials
2. Use cd /var/lib/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-client-serenity
3. Find the directory matching the PowerChute plugin and remove it (rm --fr).
4. On a Windows vCenter Server machine browse to C:\ProgramData\VMware\vSphere Web Client\vc-packages\vsphere-client-serenity
5. Restart the vSphere Web Client with: /etc/init.d/vsphere-client restart (On Windows restart the VMware vSphere Web Client service)

Once the Web client has restarted verify if the plugin has been remove and using https:///mob as I listed in my earlier post. Once verifying the plugin has been remove open PCNS web interface and select the plugin to be added to vSphere web client. Once readded restart the vSphere web client again and then verify the PCNS plugin has been added. 

[Anonymous user]

Bill

Apologies for the delay  (holidays + other projects demanding my time) but upon having completed this the plugin is still not visible. 

Also - we have a setup on another site that has a very similar build which I've tried it on and am having exactly the same result.   The Powerchute appliance is able to ping the VCSA appliance on both sites so communication shouldn't be an issue. 

Is there any other way to get support for these products (by phone etc) as this is rapidly becoming a point of failure that I'm going to have to explain once the system is live 

[BillP]

Hi,

Please attach screen shots of what the Extension Manager is displaying. A copy of the error.log file and a copy of pcnsconfig.ini. 

Question: Can you access the PCNS web interface using a web browser? To do so enter https://:6547 

Example: https://192.168.1.10:6547

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Was this ever resolved?  We're running into the same issue on ESX6.7.  Plugin shows installed, but not visible.