Prior to ESX 4.0 Update 2, this issue occurs when the time period between the ESX host's heartbeat checks is not high enough.
To resolve this issue, increase the time that the ESX host takes in between heartbeat checks:
- On the ESX host, navigate to/etc/vmware/hostd.
- Open config.xml file for editing.
- In the vmsvc section and insert the line:
<heartbeatCheckInSecs> 30 </heartbeatCheckInSecs>
The section must look similar to:
<vmsvc>
<enabled>true</enabled>
<heartbeatCheckInSecs> 30 </heartbeatCheckInSecs>
</vmsvc>
- Restart the management agents. For more information, see Restarting the Management agents on an ESX or ESXi Server (1003490).