Virtualisation Tips & Tricks

VCF Installer, and workflow failed at the “Generate NSX Input Data” task with the following error:

Workaround #1

This workaround is effective only when applied to the VCF installer prior to initiating a new VCF deployment. If a deployment has already been started, apply Workaround #1 first, then proceed to Workaround #2.

Download both fix_manifest.sh and the corresponding manifest vcfManifest## file attached to this article. 

1. Using a file transfer utility, upload both files to the VCF Installer appliance.
   
2. SSH to the VCF Installer (or SDDC Manager depending on the scenario- if installer and SDDC is the same, login to the same, if the installer and SDDC are separate machines, login to the installer)
   
3. Elevate to root:
   su
   
4. Navigate to the location of the uploaded files and update the file permissions:
   chmod +x fix_manifest.sh
   
5. Run the following command:
   /fix_manifest.sh '<admin-local-password>' vcfManifestNew###.json

Workaround #2

1. SSH into the SDDC manager appliance and then elevate to root with su.
   
2. Record the “execution_ID”  in the SDDC Manager’s /var/log/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log.
   
   Example:
   2026-02-02T20:36:08.507+0000 INFO  [vcf_dm,69810ab878823e334f223275a5a59b60,afa7] [c.v.v.l.a.a.ActivityLoggingInterceptor,http-nio-127.0.0.1-7200-exec-3]  {"username":null,"timestamp":"2026-02-        02T20:36:08.507Z","clientIP":"127.0.0.1","userAgent":"Apache-HttpClient/5.3.1 (Java/17.0.16)","api":"/domainmanager/workflows/<execution_ID>","httpMethod":"GET","httpStatus":200,"operation":"Get a workflow with a specific 320E]
   
3. Enable domainmanager vault access and cycle the domainmanager service. 
   
   echo vcf.vault.http-access=true >> /etc/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/application.properties && systemctl restart domainmanager
   
4. Run the following command to dump the workflow json.
   
   curl -X GET http://localhost/domainmanager/internal/vault/<execution ID identified from domainmanager.log> | json_pp > /tmp/workflow.json
   
   Sample:
   
   curl -X GET http://localhost/domainmanager/internal/vault/86ba####-####-####-####-########5eb7 | json_pp > /tmp/workflow.json
   
5. Edit /tmp/workflow.json file and edit the line,"initSddcGreenfield____1__addViWithPolicyNsxt____4__NsxtAddViHeader____8__vcfCompliantNsxtVersion"

vi /tmp/workflow.json
   
   Example for 9.0.1
   
   "initSddcGreenfield____1__addViWithPolicyNsxt____4__NsxtAddViHeader____8__vcfCompliantNsxtVersion" : "9.0.1.0.24952111",
   
6. Update the modified workflow.json in VCF Installer
   
   curl -H 'Content-Type:text/plain' -X PUT http://localhost/domainmanager/internal/vault/86ba####-####-####-####-########5eb7 -d @/tmp/workflow.json
   
7. Retry the failed run from the VCF Installer UI
   
   POST SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENT
8. SSH into the SDDC manager appliance and then elevate to root with su.
9. Truncate the manifest file to remove the custom manifest file. 
   
   psql -h localhost -U postgres -d lcm -c "truncate manifest"