Troubleshooting VMware Cloud Director and CSE TKG Deployments

Container Service Extension (CSE) combined with Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) unlocks powerful container capabilities for VMware Cloud Director tenants. However, the deployment process can be complex. Based on real-world scenarios, here are some common issues and solutions.

1. Cluster Stuck in Reconciling State:

Issue: TKG clusters fail to reconcile due to network connectivity issues.

Scenario: A service provider found that clusters deployed by their tenants were perpetually stuck in the “Reconciling” state.

Solution: Verify that the EPHEMERAL_TEMP_VM can access the internet. This VM requires internet access to pull images during the bootstrap process. Configure a NAT or proxy if direct access is unavailable.

2. Incorrect Placement Policies:

Issue: TKG clusters fail to deploy due to invalid placement policies.

Scenario: A tenant’s deployment attempt failed because the placement policy did not align with the available resources.

Solution: Review and update the placement policies in the CSE configuration file to match the available Org VDC resources. Perform a dry-run deployment to validate the configuration before allowing tenant access.

3. API Registration Errors:

Issue: Kubernetes API server endpoints fail to register with VCD.

Solution: Ensure that the Kubernetes API endpoint is reachable from the VCD appliance. Check firewall rules and DNS resolution to eliminate connectivity issues.