VMWare Server 2.0.2 Home Page login problem

I use VMWare Server 2.0.2 but recently i issued some weird problem.

My VMWare Server works on Windows XP x64 based host machine, i used IE8 and MFF6.

Server works fine, guest machine works fine but i cannot access to server inventory through VMware Server Home Page. Because of that i am unable to change, modified and create vm`s. This is very anoying. I can only access to inventory through VMware Infrastructure Client. Through this app i can load machine from storage to inventory but i cannot make any cnages to vm`s.

My real problem is that I cannot join some usb device from host machine to some particular vm`s.

This problem begins after i upgrade to version 2.0.2.

I have tried solutions like reinstalling vmware server, mff, jvm ect.; or installing earlyer version of mff, jvm or some other system components. None of this does not help.

After reading dozens of pages and days spent in finding the solutions I gave up on solving problems and resorted to the old reliable way - reinstalling the host machine.

I install Windows XP x64 Pro, update system, and install vmware server 2.0.2 - nothing more nothing less!

BUT After vmware server installation finishes and Host machine restarted - you guess? - problem is still here!

Everything looks fine, vmware server start and running, all needed services start and running but i still cannot login on Server inventory through VMWare Infrastructure Web Client Home Page!!!

When i open VMware Server Home Page from Desktop for the first time before login window appears i get certification error like on pictures below:

However, login window show up.

Yeah, that tells me VMware Server works. But after entering my username and password I get an error:

The server is not respondig. Please check that the server is running and accepting connection.

If you have all this services running your server works just fine, but you can experience some problem with login to VMware Web Infrastructure Home Page.

If that is the case you go through next steps:

2. After i issued command netsat -aon in command prompt (start --> runn --> cmd <enter> netstat -aon <enter>) i have output shown below:

3. logical sequence of events is calling the command tasklist /svc you will get similar output as shown below:

You can see on this two pics that i have port 8333, 8222 and 8308 opened and in listening state.

NOTE: Specified port can be different if you change them in installation process.

You can see that on port 8333 / 8222 is VMwareHostd (vmware-hostd.exe) and at port 8308 VmwareServerWebAccess (tomcat6.exe).

This output is OK but if you have some other apps listening on port dedicated to VMware Server you can expect that your server does not respond to your login request.

Your Server is up and running but you cannot logon to Web Infrastructure. What you can do with server which works but you cannot manage them? Is there a way to logon on Server? YES, there is the couple way you can try to logon:

4. The way to logon is to call VIX command vmrun from the command prompt. If you have installed vmware server 2.0.2 version you have VIX by default.

This package can be installed on a remote computer from which you can manage the virtual environment. You can download VIX from VMware pages and install it to your pc.But before you will be able to use this command from command prompt on your computer you must add full path to the VIX folder to Environment Variable - System Variable - Path. If you do not know how to do that or you wont, you still can call vmrun command but your current folder must be ...\VMware\VMware VIX.

Successful issued vmrun command vmrun -T server -h https://nameoftheserver:8333/sdk -u YOURusername -p YOURpassword list return a list of active virtual machines on the server as shown in the picture below:

If you get output like that your server works just fine and you can login to vmware server with your credentials.

The more options of the vmrun command you can find if you type vmrun and press enter. List of switches, parameters and examples are listed on command prompt window.

Calling vmrun command we will be able to start, stop and manage virtual machines, install vmtools on guest machines and much more.

But for people who have less experience this way may be nightmare.

The second way to logon to VMware Server inventory is to use VI Client application (VMware Infrastructure Client). This application is GUI similar to Web Infrastructure Home Page, but in some way with limited capabilities.

This application is not part of VMware Server 2.0.2 software package, and you cannot download it from site. This application is used to manage and administering ESX, ESXi Server or some other VMware products, and it is part of that software solutions. The new version is vSphere Infrastructure Client and it can be used also.

On the pic below you can see VI Client logon window:

After entering username and password (the same i used when i try to login through VMware Infrastructure Web Access, and vmrun command) i finally get inventory screen:

Finaly, i logon to vmware server inventory. YUPI !

Your output will be different, you will not have virtual machines listed nor running. But you can add them from datastore (location you specified when you install vmware server) or you can create brand new virtual machine using inventory menu.

Like i said before, in my case, vmware server is up and running, all services up and running, all port is opened and in listening state, appropriate services use dedicated ports, vmrun command successfully logon to server and return output, virtual machines works perfectly and starts when host os start, logon using VI client is successful ... BUT ...

Still i cannot change or edit vms through VI Client apps -

And cannot logon through VMware Web Infrastructure Home Page!