Applying a Host Profile to a host fails with error: "Failed to execute command to configure or query coredump partition"

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Applying a Host Profile to a host fails.
• The Host Profiles related Remediate operation fails.
• You see the error:
  
  Failed to execute command to configure or query coredump partition.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0

Cause

When you apply the Host Profile settings in a host using the Remediate option, all the enabled policies in the Host Profile are applied to the host. One of the policies is Core Dump Configuration. When Host Profile engine tries to apply this policy, it first tries to query if any core dump partition is configured on the host. If that query fails for any reason, you see this error message and the Remediate task fails.

One of the common reasons for the failure of this query is if the LUN or device on which the coredump partition was configured on the host is no longer available on the host. It can happen if the administrator or user has removed that disk/LUN from the host but forgot to reconfigure a new coredump partition on the host.

Resolution

Clear any references to the stale coredump partition on the host and then configure/activate an existing partition or create a new partition. To do this, SSH to the host and perform these steps:

1. Remove the references to any stale coredump partition by unconfiguring the coredump partition by running this command.
   
   ~ # esxcli system coredump partition set -u
   
   Verify that there is no Active or Configured coredump partition by running this command.
   
   ~ # esxcli system coredump partition get
   
   You see output similar to.
   
   Active:
   Configured:
   
   
2. Enable the coredump partition in smart mode so that an existing coredump partition is automatically activated by running this command:
   
   ~ # esxcli system coredump partition set -s -e true
   
   Verify that there is an Active coredump partition by running this command:
   
   ~ # esxcli system coredump partition get
   
   You see output similar to:
   
   Active: mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0:2
   Configured: mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0:2
   
   
3. If you do not see any partition as Configured and Active, then create a new coredump partition on the host. For more information, see Configuring a diagnostic coredump partition on an ESXi 5.x/6.0 host (2004299).

Additional Information

Configuring a diagnostic coredump partition on an ESXi 5.x/6.x host