Failed to configure the server machine...not a local server machine

[JimmyDobbins]

Hello,

I have successfully installed and authorized ArcGIS Server on a virtual machine (Windows Server 2012 Standard). When launching the ArcGIS Server Setup Wizard, I get an error:

Failed to create the site. Failed to configure the server machine 'PHANTOM.LOCALDOMAIN'. Server machine 'PHANTOM.LOCALDOMAIN' is not a local server machine.

This exact sequence of errors happened on another virtual machine (Windows 2008 Data Center...named hornet) and I resolved it by modifying my hosts file as follows:

# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself. 127.0.0.1       localhost ::1             localhost 127.0.0.1 hornet 127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost 127.0.0.1 HORNET.LOCALDOMAIN

This configuration (and one by one, commenting out all other lines) does not work on the Server 2012 VM. I have created a firewall rule to accept all connections on port 6080, given the ArcGIS Server OS account full permissions in the c:\arcgisserver folders, rebooted, verified that I have 10.1 licenses, uninstalled and reinstalled the entire program, but all to no avail. There must be some minor difference between Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2008 Data Center.

Does anyone see something I may be missing or should try? The forums were helpful, but I have exhausted all of the recommendations now. Thanks in advance!

[LaurenSullivan]

Thank you, RLWatson! Your steps just worked for my Windows Server 2012 R2 machine.

[HunterWei]

I can confirm the issue was caused by the java lib of ArcGIS Server when getting variable [HOSTNAME] for those Windows has not joined a domain, it automatically added .LOCALDOMAIN after Computer Name as Full Computer Name.

A simple fix is go to Windows -> "System Properties" -> "Computer Name", click "Change..." button -> "Computer Name/Domain Changes", click "More..."button -> "DNS Suffix and NetBIOS Computer Name", enter 'LOCALDOMAIN' to "Primary DNS suffix of this computer".

Once added this DNS suffix and restart your Windows, and check "Computer Name", you will see your Full computer name became "YourComputerName.LOCALDOMAIN", then run create a site again will work like a charm.

[KevinSayer]

I'm surprised this issue still exists 8 years down the line but I just ran into it after installing ArcGIS Server 11.1 on a Windows Server 2022 VM that's not joined to a domain.  I've installed this software many times over the years (mostly for dev/test purposes on non-server OSs to be fair) and never run into this before.  I tried a couple of clean installs, renaming the machine before and after but it was only setting the, "Primary DNS suffix of this computer" to "LOCALDOMAIN" that eventually fixed it for me, so thanks go out to HunerWei!