topic Re: DataONTAP powershell cannot connect to a cluster in ONTAP Discussions

DataONTAP powershell cannot connect to a cluster

BenCoughtry — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:10:34 GMT

Hi all, I'm having trouble connecting to 1 CDOT cluster but can connect to others from same server with matching hardware and OnTap versions. Below is what I've checked already. I CAN reach onbox system manager OK as well as SSH to the cluster mgmt LIF, but powershell connections and thus WFA connections fail. Details:

Error:

PS C:\Windows\system32> Connect-NcController san2001c-cluster.eci.cloud -Credential admin
Connect-NcController : Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
At line:1 char:1
+ Connect-NcController san2001c-cluster.eci.cloud -Credential admin
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidResult: (san2001c-cluster.eci.cloud:NcController) [Connect-NcController], NullRef
erenceException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : HttpConnectionFailed,DataONTAP.C.PowerShell.SDK.ConnectNcController

PS C:\Windows\system32> Connect-NcController san2001c-cluster.eci.cloud -Credential admin -https
Connect-NcController : API invoke failed.
At line:1 char:1
+ Connect-NcController san2001c-cluster.eci.cloud -Credential admin -https
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidResult: (san2001c-cluster.eci.cloud:NcController) [Connect-NcController], NaExcep
tion
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : HttpConnectionFailed,DataONTAP.C.PowerShell.SDK.ConnectNcController

Things I've tried:

Connect to another cluster also running ontap 9.1from same powershell server -> connect OK
Connect to affected cluster using systemscope credentials -> same error as above on affected cluster but OK on other 9.1 clusters
Compared configuration of the following match for both affected cluster and working cluster (both clusters run ontap 9.1:
- vserver services web show
- web access show
- security ssh show
- security ssl show
- firewall policy show
- security certificate show
There are NO firewalls between the powershell server and affected cluster
I've tried powershell connections from other Windows servers running different Windows OS, powershell and DataONTAP plugin versions -> same error

Other information:

-DataONTAP plugin version 4.1.0

-Powershell version 4.0

-.NET v 3.5 and 4.5 feature are installed

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Re: DataONTAP powershell cannot connect to a cluster

JGPSHNTAP — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 17:43:46 GMT

The connection needs API access to the cluster

security login show

You need to have API access

Also, i've seen those really wierd errors once in a while

Re: DataONTAP powershell cannot connect to a cluster

BenCoughtry — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 18:20:29 GMT

Do I not already have this?

san2001c-cluster::*> sec login show
(security login show)

Vserver: san2001c-cluster
Authentication Acct Is-Nsswitch
User/Group Name Application Method Role Name Locked Group
---------------- ----------- --------- ---------------- ------ -----------
admin console password admin no no
admin http password admin no no
admin ontapi password admin no no
admin service-processor password admin no no

admin ssh password admin no no

Re: DataONTAP powershell cannot connect to a cluster

JGPSHNTAP — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 18:52:00 GMT

Yes, looks good.

And you are connecting to the other cluster successfully from the same computer?

Re: DataONTAP powershell cannot connect to a cluster

BenCoughtry — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 19:01:34 GMT

Correct 🙂 Just this 1 cluster is problematic, others work just fine and are running same OnTap versions, and apparently same configuration, as far as I can tell.

Re: DataONTAP powershell cannot connect to a cluster

BenCoughtry — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 22:01:34 GMT

Support had me changed "system services web modify -http-enabled true" even though other working clusters had that set to false, and that fixed the issue. Confirmed self-signed certificates are still valid so unclear why this fixed it but powershell login works OK now.