Removing an ESX/ESXi host from a domain fails with the error: The operation is not allowed in the current state

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Cannot remove an ESX/ESXi host from a domain
• Attempting to remove an ESX/ESXi host from a domain fails
• Navigating to Configuration > Authentication Services > Properties in vCenter Server and selecting Leave Domain fails with the error:
  
  The operation is not allowed in the current state.
  
  
• In the vpxd.log file, you see entries similar to:
  
  [VpxLRO] -- FINISH task-56358 -- host-1703 -- vim.host.ActiveDirectoryAuthentication.leaveCurrentDomain -- 6527E562-1964-4112-A7A4-64B802A1F3AA(77A2D1AB-5FDF-4119-B7F1-58D40AEDB6B4)
  [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-56358 -- host-1703 -- vim.host.ActiveDirectoryAuthentication.leaveCurrentDomain: vim.fault.InvalidState:
  Result:
  (vim.fault.InvalidState) {
  dynamicType = <unset>,
  faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
  msg = "The operation is not allowed in the current state.",

Note: For more information on the location of log files, see Location of vCenter Server log files (1021804).

Environment

VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0
VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware ESX 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded

Resolution

To resolve this issue, try restarting the management services on the host. For more information, see Restarting the Management agents on an ESXi or ESX host (1003490).

If the issue persists even after restarting the management services, delete the contents of the /etc/likewise/db directory.

To delete the contents of the /etc/likewise/db directory:

1. Connect to the ESX/ESXi host using SSH. For more information, see Connecting to an ESX host using a SSH client (1019852) or Using Tech Support Mode in ESXi 4.1 and ESXi 5.x (1017910).
2. Run this command to stop the lsassd service:
   
   /etc/init.d/lsassd stop
   
   Note: For more information on lsassd, see Enabling logging for Likewise agents on ESX/ESXi (1026554).
   
   
3. Run this command to create a backup folder for the db directory:
   
   mkdir /etc/likewise/db_backup
   
   
4. Run this command to move the files from the db directory to the backup directory:
   
   mv /etc/likewise/db db_backup
   
   
5. Run this command to start the lsassd service:
   
   /etc/init.d/lsassd start
   

Note: If the issue persists even after trying the steps in this article, file a support request with VMware Support and note this Knowledge Base article ID (2035634) in the problem description. For more information, see How to Submit a Support Request.

Additional Information

Restarting the Management agents in ESXi
Using Tech Support Mode in ESXi 4.1, ESXi 5.x, and ESXi 6.x
Connecting to an ESX host using an SSH client
Location of vCenter Server log files
Enabling logging for Likewise agents on ESXi/ESX
Attempting to join domain to use Active Directory authentication fails for an ESXi host
ESX/ESXiホストのドメインからの削除が次のエラーで失敗する：The operation is not allowed in the current state