"Loading module nimble_psp_directed" error when upgrading ESXi host from 5.x / 6.x

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:
Upgrading ESXi host from 5.x /6.x, you see this error during the reboot post upgrade:

"Loading module nimble_psp_directed"

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5

Cause

This issue occurs due to Nimble Connection Managers ( NCM ) that are installed on the ESXi host.

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

1. Reboot the affected ESXi host. For more information, see Reverting to a previous version of ESXi.
2. Put the host in maintenance mode.
3. Connect to the host using SSH or DCUI.
4. Run these commands to remove the Nimble Connection Manager:

/etc/init.d/sfcbd-watchdog stop
esxcli software vib remove -n nimble-ncs --maintenance-mode
esxcli software vib remove -n nimble-psp --maintenance-mode

5. Reboot the ESXi host
6. Upgrade the ESXi host and then re-install the Nimble Connection Manager. 

Note: The vendor can be involved for performing the re-install of the Nimble Connection Manager.