"The license capacity is insufficient" error while switching the license from CPU to VM

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:
When licensing VMware NSX for vSphere 6.2.x and the usage is greater than the current capacity, you experience these symptoms:

• Switching the license from CPU to virtual machine (or vice versa) fails.
• You see the error:
  
  The license capacity is insufficient

Environment

VMware NSX for vSphere 6.2.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.x

Cause

This issue occurs when the latest usage count is not calculated correctly while determining if the license switch can be applied from virtual machine count to CPU count and vice versa.

The only possible way to get to this is:

In the case of virtual machine to CPU license switch:

1. NSX starts in the evaluation mode (per virtual machine).
2. User applies a CPU license (License1) with big capacity and uses more than the capacity (License3).
3. User applies a virtual machine license (License2).
4. User applies a CPU license (License3) with lower capacity (License1).

In the case of CPU to virtual machine license switch:

1. NSX starts in the evaluation mode (per virtual machine) and uses more than the capacity of License2.
2. User applies CPU licenses (License1).
3. User applies virtual machine license (License2).

Resolution

This issue is resolved in VMware vCenter Server 6.0 Update 2.

If you are unable to upgrade at this time, apply this workaround:

• For virtual machine to CPU license switch - If License1 is still available, apply it first and then switch to License2.
• For CPU to virtual machine license switch - If the evaluation has not yet expired, switch first to evaluation and then to License2.

Note: This does not prevent or interfere with the functional usage of VMware NSX for vSphere 6.2.x.

Additional Information

Changing the VMware NSX for vSphere 6.x License from virtual machine to CPU