Comments on: vCenter Server linked Mode. Error 28039. Setup cannot join vCenter Server to the linked mode group

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:06:30 +0000

Hi There, Ive got this exact same problem but Ive been through all the things listed in your post and im still not able to configure linked mode.

The VC servers are virtual, but not cloned, they were new installs.
Time on systems is within 5 mins.
User account setup in AD and added to the local admin group on each vc server, also domain admin user also fails.
Both systems in same domain
DNS configured, all nslookups are 100% ok.

Im struggling to find the log files, any ideas ?

By: Eiad

Eiad — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:53:54 +0000

Hi Mordock,

Thanks for your contribution, and sorry for the late reply. Though I am traveling abroad these days and don’t get much of access to the net in here. I am glad you found the solution, and me restating the points in the manual with a bit extra on them was done as I found many people over looked them including me the first time I tried it in lab. Again thanks for your contribution & sharing the solution with us.

By: Mordock

Mordock — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:54:33 +0000

I finally found the answer. It has to do with the installation of ADAM and RPC. I found the following on another site:

“On investigation we found that ADAM requires 2 more addtional ports
(Port 135 & a random port between 1025-65535) other than port 2000 to be opened at firewall. If I open those ports I replication happens without any Issues.”

In simpler terms, turn off the firewall so that RPC can communicate, thus getting rid of the 0×800705ec error.
Error code: 0×800706ec
The list of RPC servers available for the binding of auto handles has been exhausted.

By: Mordock

Mordock — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:17:49 +0000

I can read the manual as well as you can. This is not the solution to the problem. There is something else that they are not telling us. The following is in the log:

[2009-08-27 21:48:35 SEVERE] Operation “Join instance VMwareVCMSDS” failed: : Action: Join Instance
Action: Join Instance
Action: Create replica instance
Action: Create Instance
Problem: Creation of instance VMwareVCMSDS failed: Active Directory could not create the NTDS Settings object for this directory server CN=NTDS Settings,CN=VCENTER66$VMwareVCMSDS,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,CN={1FAF683A-F763-45F5-9778-ADB023112C7B} on the remote directory server vCenter67.vi3.vm:389. Ensure the provided network credentials have sufficient permissions.
Error code: 0×800706ec

Notice that it is trying to make changes to active directory and that is what is failing. Just what permissions does it need in AD?? There appears to be no stated requirement that it be an AD administrator account, yet it is making changes in AD. I’ve even tried it as Domain Admin, even as Enterprise Admin.