jjmehren shares a step-by-step installation log and troubleshooting notes for deploying Microsoft Connected Cache on Windows Server 2022 using WSL and Ubuntu, highlighting success indicators and points of confusion.

MCC Phantom Install on Windows Server 2022 with WSL

Author: jjmehren

Overview

This post documents the process and associated logs for installing Microsoft Connected Cache (MCC) on a Windows Server 2022 host, utilizing WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) and Ubuntu 24.04. Despite reaching a “success” state according to installation tasks and logs, running wsl --list returns no installed distributions. The post provides stepwise details for each major installation milestone, hoping to isolate causes of the apparent phantom install.

Environment

  • Host OS: Windows Server 2022
  • Linux Distro: Ubuntu 24.04 (imported as VHDX)
  • WSL Status: Fully updated (WSL, kernel)

Installation Steps and Diagnostic Output

1. Initialization

  • MCC installer invoked via scheduled task.
  • VHDX file existence/size verified: c:\mccwsl02\Ubuntu-24.04-Mcc-Converted.vhdx
  • VHDX accessible for import: size 132,074,438,656 bytes.

2. Image Import

  • Image import claimed successful: MCC Ubuntu image imported to WSL.
  • Validation step shows WSL Ubuntu image detected and running, with IP recorded as System.Object[] (suggests serialization or logging issue).

3. Port Proxy Setup

  • Port 80 forwarding to WSL instance completed with netsh interface portproxy.

4. Command Execution & Container Management

  • Install commands run inside Ubuntu WSL Distro
  • MCC container (pulled from Azure Container Registry):
    • msconnectedcacheprod1.azurecr.io/mcc/linux/iot/mcc-ubuntu-iot-amd64:2.0.0.2112_e
    • Container startup detected, confirmed with status code 200.
  • Certificates and log directories created at c:\mccwsl02\Certificates and subfolders.
  • Symlinks set inside the WSL instance: windowsCerts -> /mnt/c/mccwsl02/Certificates
  • Config file verification successful. All steps reported as OK.
  • WSL distribution checks reference:
    • Ubuntu-24.04-Mcc-Base
    • Ubuntu-24.04-Mcc
  • All properties for TLS and symlink infrastructure report as True/Success.

6. Finalization & Cleanup

  • Last validation steps and PowerShell transcript confirm successful install, no error messages.
  • However: wsl --list returns no distributions, and the original issue remains unresolved.

Additional Diagnostics

  • The wslip.txt file only outputs: System.Object[] COMPLETED (not human-readable).
  • All other logs appear clean, suggesting either a registration or visibility issue inside WSL’s distribution table.

Recommendations

  • Re-run wsl.exe --list --verbose to confirm current WSL state.
  • Check %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages for the Ubuntu/MCC distro, and review logon context.
  • Try manual import via wsl --import if necessary.
  • Validate that the gMSA account used has sufficient permissions and is properly mapped.
  • Investigate custom installation parameters or scheduled task constraints.

Useful Resources

By tracing each phase from VHDX verification through symlink and container setup, this log aids troubleshooting situations where the installer claims success but wsl --list yields no evident distributions. Double-check import logs, permission boundaries, and installation contexts for further resolution.

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