Pretty much EVERY time I install vRA Version 7.* I always get an error relating to the vRA IAAS Service.

It stops Endpoint Compute Services from being displayed, stops data collection of all added endpoints and generally makes vRA a paperweight.

The error can be found under Infrastructure>Monioring, you’ll know you have issues if you have hundreds\thousands of the same error!

The full error looks like this…

The error is related to the MS DTC service, if your Windows SQL Server and Windows IAAS Manager Servers have been rolled out from the same vSphere template then you will likely get the error, I read a large number of blogs that say this only happens if Sysprep hasn’t been run, however I see this issue whether SYSPREP is run or not. The GUID of MS DTC doesn’t seem to change and the duplicate GUID entries of the SQL & IAAS Manager Server results in the issue.

Uninstalling\Re-Installing\Re-Configuring MS DTC seems to be the most appropriate resolution to this issue, I run the following commands on all IAAS Manager Servers and SQL Servers. I then restart The SQL, IAAS MAnager & vRA Appliance for good measure.

Uninstall-Dtc -confirm:$false

Install-Dtc

Set-DtcNetworkSetting -DtcName "Local" -RemoteAdministrationAccessEnabled:$False -RemoteClientAccessEnabled:$True -InboundTransactionsEnabled:$True -OutboundTransactionsEnabled:$True -LUTransactionsEnabled:$True -XATransactionsEnabled:$False -AuthenticationLevel Mutual -Confirm:$False