Validating a host profile while editing against an ESXi host fails with the error: Cannot validate host customizations for host

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Validating an ESXi hosts customizations fails while editing host profiles.
• You see the error:
  
  Cannot validate host customizations for host <IP Address>. A general system error occurred.
  
  
• In the C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\Logs\vpxd.log file, you see entries similar to:
  
  YYYY-MM-DDT<time> info vpxd[05004] [Originator@6876 sub=vpxLro opID=cd9ffeef-5fb9-49be-86fa-5329aabeae34-807-ngc-4c] [VpxLRO] -- FINISH task-internal-378621</time>
YYYY-MM-DDT<time> info vpxd[05004] [Originator@6876 sub=Default opID=cd9ffeef-5fb9-49be-86fa-5329aabeae34-807-ngc-4c] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-internal-378621 -- HostProfileManager -- vim.profile.host.ProfileManager.retrieveAnswerFileForProfile: vmodl.fault.SystemError:</time>
--> Result:
--> (vmodl.fault.SystemError) {
--> faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
--> faultMessage = (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) [
--> (vmodl.LocalizableMessage) {
--> key = "com.vmware.vim.profile.engine.UnexpectedError",
--> arg = (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) [
--> (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
--> key = "context",
--> value = "Exception while executing profile"
--> },
--> (vmodl.KeyAnyValue) {
--> key = "error",
--> value = "expected string or buffer"
--> }
--> ],
--> message = "Error: expected string or buffer."
--> }
--> ],
--> reason = ""
--> msg = "Received SOAP response fault from [<cs p:000000000d051690, TCP:192.168.1.189:443>]: execute
--> Received SOAP response fault from [<cs p:1f3a3210, TCP:localhost:8307>]: execute
--> A general system error occurred: "
  
  Note: This log excerpt is an example. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x

Cause

This issue occurs due to old host customization values that are saved in the vCenter Server from a old host profile.

Resolution

To workaround this issue reset the ESXi host customizations:

1. Connect to the vCenter Server using the vSphere Web Client and an administrative account.
2. Navigate to the affected ESXi host.
3. Right-click the ESXi host and select vCenter Actions > Host Profiles > Reset Host Customizations.
4. The host profile should now be available to edit.

Additional Information