Performing vMotion between ESX/ESXi hosts fails with the error: VMotion is not licensed on this host

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Cannot perform a vMotion between ESX/ESXi hosts
• vMotion between ESX/ESXi hosts fails
• In the vMotion migration wizard, you see this error after you select the migration type:

VMotion is not licensed on this host. To perform this function without a license, power off the virtual machine.

Storage VMotion is not licensed on this host. To perform this function without a license, power off the virtual machine.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x

Resolution

This issue may occur if vMotion is not enabled under licensing on the ESX/ESXi host.

To verify if vMotion is enabled:

1. Connect to the vCenter Server using the vSphere Client.
2. Select the source ESX/ESXi host.
3. Click the Configuration Tab.
4. Click Licensed Features.
5. Go through the features and check if it has vMotion as a supported feature.
6. If vMotion is not included, verify if the license you are using for vSphere includes vMotion.

Additional Information

If you believe you should be licensed for vMotion, contact VMware Licensing Support or call VMware Licensing at 1-877-486-9273.

Note: For more information about license administrator and support administrator roles, see Support Contract FAQs.