NetApp Virtual Storage Console 5.0 displays “Unable to add storage systems due to insufficient privileges.”

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Last week I have installed VMware vSphere 5.5 on my test host and today was the time to get the NetApp Virtual Storage Console 5.0 going so I could take advantage of Rapid Cloning and other good stuff that VSC 5.0 includes.

Installation was straight forward (recommended read – Virtual Storage Console 5.0 for VMware® vSphere® – Installation and Administration Guide) and next logical step was to add my Storage Systems so I could provision datastores etc. From within VSC section in vSphere Web Client I was trying to add new Storage System just to be presented with the following:

“Unable to add storage systems due to insufficient privileges. You do not have sufficient permission to perform this action on: the root object. Contact your administrator to add the following mission privileges: Add, Modify, and Skip storage systems”

NetApp_Virtual_Storage_Console_5.0_displays_Unable_to_add_storage_systems_due_to_insufficient_privileges_1
Similar error is displayed when trying to deploy VMware VAAI plugin:

NetApp_Virtual_Storage_Console_5.0_displays_Unable_to_add_storage_systems_due_to_insufficient_privileges_2

As it turns out the issue here was to do with account I used to register VSC with vCenter. When you install VSC you have to go to https://localhost:8143/Register.html to register VSC as per the following screenshot:

NetApp_Virtual_Storage_Console_5.0_displays_Unable_to_add_storage_systems_due_to_insufficient_privileges_3

and the said account has to be added as Administrator (role) to vCenter otherwise you will get errors like above. In my case I have registered VSC correctly (you can’t register if the account is not added to vCenter as Administrator) but I have mocked with permissions day after and somehow removed the VSC service account from vCenter (go figure..). After adding it back in I was able to add my Storage Systems without issues:

NetApp_Virtual_Storage_Console_5.0_displays_Unable_to_add_storage_systems_due_to_insufficient_privileges_4

As the old saying goes – “If it ain’t broke…”

9 thoughts on “NetApp Virtual Storage Console 5.0 displays “Unable to add storage systems due to insufficient privileges.”

  1. peter

    I have done the above when installing VSC 5.0 and I still have the same issue:
    You do not have sufficient permission to perform this action on: the root object.

    Any ideas would be helpfull

  2. Adrian Kielbowicz Post author

    Peter,

    Is the VSC service account set to have permissions propagated in vCenter at the top level? This is most likely your issue.

    Adrian

  3. Adrian Kielbowicz Post author

    Peter, I’m on about the actual account you have used to register NetApp VSC with vCenter as per my screenshot below. Have you set permission on THAT account to have access to vCenter server (top level) and to propagate down?

  4. peter

    HI Adrain
    Yes the username [email protected] has been registered.

    The user [email protected] at the top level has full permission and propagrated. Just a note here; I created this whole datacenter with this userid and the only thing it does not work is Netapp VSC.
    Are there anything from vcenter command line I can run or anything from VSC command line?

    I have sent you an email with a snapshot of the userid at the top level.

  5. Clayton

    Hi Peter – Did you ever figure this one out? I’m having the same issue and I’ve tried a couple of different accounts including the vsphere.local. Nothing seems to work.

  6. Adrian Kielbowicz Post author

    Looking at my lab setup I can confirm the following:

    1) Virtual Storage Console for VMware vSphere Server service runs under Local System account,

    2) Service account that I have used to register VSC is member of local admin on the vCenter box,

    3) Service account that I have used to register VSC has propagated permissions (Administrator) within vCenter itself (top level)

    Don’t give up on this yet! I spent few hours before I got it to work..

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