PVS Server SOAP service communication fails from remote PVS console

PVS Server SOAP service communication fails from remote PVS console

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Article ID: CTX692826

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Description

When setting up new Windows Server 2025 virtual machines on VMware to create two new PVS servers, the following issues occur:

  • After installing PVS software and running configuration wizard successfully on the first PVS server, the PVS farm access using this PVS server was only possible using the PVS console locally on the PVS server. No remote PVS consoles could connect to this PVS server.
  • Attempting to add a 2nd PVS server failed with a generic error (ERROR:KEY-EXCHANGE: Failed..) as the configuration wizard needs to communicate with existing PVS servers in an existing farm via their PVS SOAP services
  • Disabling all firewalls and security software on the PVS servers did not change the behavior.
  • Network traces captured from the remote side showed SOAP service port was inaccessible. 

Environment

Caution! Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that might require you to reinstall your operating system. Citrix cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. Be sure to back up the registry before you edit it.

Resolution

Changing Windows Server 2025 task offloading back to system default resolved the issue.
Once task offloading was set back to the system default, SOAP service could then to be contacted both locally and remotely.

Steps:

  • Remove GPO configuration around DisableTaskOffload
  • Manually removed the registry key DisableTaskOffload from the PVS servers. 

 

Problem Cause

The issue is caused by a registry setting that was previously used to address compatibility issues with older versions of Windows and hypervisors. The key information about this setting:

  • The registry setting is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Parameters,
    • Name: DisableTaskOffload
    • Type DWORD
    • Value 1
  • This setting disables all task offloads from the TCP/IP transport.
  • This was previously used to address compatibility issues with older versions of Windows and hypervisors, but is no longer recommended.

The consequences of using this setting in the current environment are:

  • Disabling task offloads by setting value of 1, in combination with Windows Server 2025 and the current VMware drivers, caused external packets to the SOAP service to be dropped.
  • With the end result for PVS server being inaccessible by other PVS servers in the farm, being inaccessible by any remote PVS consoles.

 

The recommended approach:

  • Retain default Windows settings around task offloading.
  • Only change from defaults and use DisableTaskOffload setting after thorough testing has confirmed it provides a positive change to the environment.

 

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