VMware ESXi 5.1, 5.5 or 6.0 host fails with a purple diagnostic screen error: Heap VMKAPI-char-metadata already at its maximum size

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• VMware ESXi 5.1, 5.5, or 6.0 host fails with a purple diagnostic screen
• The purple diagnostic screen contains entries similar to:
  
  @BlueScreen: #PF Exception 14 in world wwww:WorldName IP 0xnnnnnnnn addr 0x0
  PTEs:0xnnnnnnnn;0xnnnnnnnn;0x0;
  
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]VmkDrv_WakeupAllWaiters@vmkernel#nover+0x13b
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]Timer_BHHandler@vmkernel#nover+0x22a
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]BH_Check@vmkernel#nover+0x98
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]PortOutput@vmkernel#nover+0xe3
  0xnnnnnnnn:[0xnnnnnnnn]IDT_IntrHandler@vmkernel#nover+0x1fc

• In the same core dump file, you see entries similar to:
  
  ESC[7m<YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>.849Z cpu10:38006369)WARNING: Heap: 3058: Heap_Align(VMKAPI-char-metadata, 24/24 bytes, 8 align) failed. caller: 0x418038cb388eESC[0m
  ESC[7m<YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>.883Z cpu12:38358412)WARNING: Heap: 3058: Heap_Align(VMKAPI-char-metadata, 24/24 bytes, 8 align) failed. caller: 0x418038cb388eESC[0m
  ESC[7m<YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>.012Z cpu2:36656713)WARNING: Heap: 2677: Heap VMKAPI-char-metadata already at its maximum size. Cannot expand.ESC[0m
  ESC[7m<YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>.015Z cpu5:36683415)WARNING: Heap: 2677: Heap VMKAPI-char-metadata already at its maximum size. Cannot expand.ESC[0m
  
  </time></time></time></time>
  Note: The preceding log excerpts are only examples. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment.
  
   

Cause

This issue occurs due to excessive polling that results in memory leakage.

 

Resolution

This issue is resolved in:

• VMware ESXi 6.0 Update 1, available at VMware Downloads
• VMware ESXi 5.5 Build 2403361
• VMware ESXi 5.1 Patch 07 Build 2583090. 

 

Additional Information