Site Recovery Manager depends on other services. If one of those services is not running, the Site Recovery Manager Server does not start.

Problem

After you install, repair, or modify Site Recovery Manager by running the Site Recovery Manager installer, or after you reboot the Site Recovery Manager Server, the Site Recovery Manager Server does not start, or else starts and then stops.

Cause

The Site Recovery Manager Server might not start if vCenter Server is not running, if it cannot connect to the Site Recovery Manager database, or if other services that Site Recovery Manager requires are not running.

Solution

  1. Check the latest Site Recovery Manager Server log file and the Windows Event Viewer for errors.

    Most errors appear in the Site Recovery Manager Server log file. Other errors can appear in the Windows Event Viewer. For example, the Site Recovery Manager database initializes before the Site Recovery Manager logging service starts. If errors occur during database initialization, they appear in the Windows Event Viewer. Errors related to certificate validity also appear in the Windows Event Viewer.

  2. Verify that the vCenter Server instance that Site Recovery Manager extends is running.

    If the vCenter Server service is running on a different host to the Site Recovery Manager Server and the vCenter Server service stops, the Site Recovery Manager Server will start succesfully and then stop after a short period.

  3. Verify that the Site Recovery Manager database service is running.

    If you use the embedded database, check that the VMware Postgres service is running. If you use an external database, check that the appropriate SQL Server or Oracle Server service is running.

  4. Log in to the machine on which you installed the Site Recovery Manager Server.
  5. Verify that Site Recovery Manager can connect to vCenter Server.
    1. Open Programs and Features from the Windows Control Panel.
    2. Select the entry for VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager and click Change.
    3. Click Next.
    4. Select Modify.
    5. Check that the address for vCenter Server is correct.

      If the vCenter Server address has changed since you installed Site Recovery Manager, for example if the vCenter Server machine uses DHCP instead of a static address, remove, reinstall, and reconfigure Site Recovery Manager.

    6. Enter the vCenter Server password and click Next.

      If the vCenter Server password has changed since you installed Site Recovery Manager, enter the new password.

    7. Select Use existing certificate and click Next.
    8. Check that the credentials for the Site Recovery Manager database are correct.
    9. Verify that the Site Recovery Manager database permits sufficient connections.

      If the Site Recovery Manager logs contain the message GetConnection: Still waiting for available connections, increase the maximum number of database connections. Consult with your database administrator before changing these settings.

    10. Click Next.

      If the connection to the database fails, close the Site Recovery Manager installer and go to 6.

    11. Select Use existing data and click Next.
    12. Check that the user account for the Site Recovery Manager service is correct, and click Next.

      If you use an account other than the Local System account, check that the username and password are correct.

    13. Click Install to update the Site Recovery Manager configuration, or click Cancel if you made no changes.
  6. Verify that Site Recovery Manager can connect to the Site Recovery Manager database.
    1. Open the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator utility, C:\Windows\System32\Odbcad32.exe.
    2. Select the system DSN for Site Recovery Manager and click Configure.
    3. Check the database settings.

      • Check that Site Recovery Manager is attempting to connect to the correct database server.

      • Check that the login credentials for the Site Recovery Manager database are correct.

      • Check that the authentication method is correct.

    4. Click Test Data Source.

      If the connection is configured correctly, the ODBC Data Source Test window shows a positive result.

    5. If the connection test fails, reconfigure the Site Recovery Manager database by using the administration software from your database provider.
  7. Open the Windows Server Manager utility and select Configuration > Services.
  8. Verify that the services that Site Recovery Manager requires are running.

    • Windows Server

    • Windows Workstation

    • Protected Storage

  9. Select the VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager Server service in the Windows Server Manager utility and click Start or Restart.