Troubleshooting vSphere Client Timeouts: “The remote server took too long to respond” | Lazy Admin Blog
If you are seeing the error “The request failed because the remote server [vCenter Name/IP] took too long to respond” specifically when checking the Storage View of a VM or Datacenter, you are likely hitting a timeout related to Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication latency.
🛠️ The Quick Fix: Manual Login
The most common trigger for this timeout is using the “Use Windows Session Credentials” checkbox during login. While convenient, this pass-through method often fails to communicate efficiently with SSO when complex domain trusts are involved.
To solve this immediately:
- Log out of the vSphere client.
- Manually type your username (e.g.,
domain\useroruser@domain.com) and password. - Do not check the “Use Windows Session Credentials” box.
🏗️ The Permanent Fix: Identity Source Configuration
If manual login works but you want to restore the functionality of session credentials, the issue lies in how vCenter communicates with your external domains.
1. Adding External Domains
Ensure your Active Directory or LDAP identity sources are correctly configured. Refer to VMware KB 2035510 for the specific procedure on adding external domains to the SSO identity sources.
2. Default Domain Order
Even if a domain is added, if it is low on the priority list, the search request may time out before finding the user.
- Log into the vSphere Web Client as an SSO Administrator (
administrator@vsphere.local). - Navigate to Administration > Single Sign-On > Configuration.
- Go to the Identity Sources tab.
- Add your trusted domains to the Default Domains list.
- Reorder the domains: Move your most frequently used production domain to the top of the list.
- Save the configuration.